Pieces
by kdsch123
Summary: Clark Kent faces the big issues: His relationship with Chloe Sullivan, His Kryptonian heritage, and a partnership that will effect his life forever. Spoilers through Season Five, but trending toward AU.
1. Growth & Change

Pieces- A "Smallville" Fan Fiction 

Acknowledgements: Don't own the characters, Warner Brothers does. This is all just for fun and to exorcise the demons within me that rage when I see the potential missed on the show!

Spoilers: Um, don't know – but this is set post "Reckoning", so beware.

Ships: Clark/Chloe, Lex/Lana

Chloe watched Lana pack her things, every movement designed to avoid eye contact. Sighing, Chloe closed her laptop with a gentle snap and pulled her legs up onto the bed, crossing them Indian style. Lana did not turn, or acknowledge Chloe in any way, just continued to place her stack of neatly folded t-shirts into her suitcase. That Lana had gotten involved with Lex Luthor was not much of surprise to Chloe, once she started thinking everything through. But Lana had not shared much info about her new relationship with Chloe, either. Clark was the only one that had gotten details, and he was so shocked and hurt that he had not been seen or heard from in weeks. Lois, who lived above the Talon, told Chloe that she had seen Clark once or twice, when he had come into the shop for breakfast, but he had barely said hello, goodbye and thank you to anyone while he was there, despite Lois' best teasing. Lois had gone to Wichita with Martha Kent, and Chloe imagined that Clark would be there with his mother as well. It would give him a chance to catch up with Pete, too.

Time to catch up with Lana, Chloe thought, and she cleared her throat.

"Lana," she said, raising her voice. "There's an elephant in the room and I think we need to talk about it."

The other girl stopped her ruthless packing and bowed her head, shoulders shaking. It was not clear whether it was from laughter or tears that Lana stood there, quietly shaking, until she turned around to look at Chloe. Tears tracked down her face, but she was smiling ruefully.

"I was thinking the same thing, but I didn't know how to start." Lana said, wiping her face with her hand. "This is all so screwed up."

"Um, yeah. Understatement." Chloe patted the bed next to her. "Come sit."

Lana sat beside her friend and took a deep breath. "I was really hurt that Clark was able to tell you whatever his secret is and that he couldn't tell me. But you've always been there for him, even when I wasn't. It's taken me a while, but I realized that Clark and I really weren't meant to be together after all."

"Wow." Chloe closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm sorry that you were hurt, Lana, really. It was the last thing I ever wanted and I know that Clark would have died before hurting you, his behavior lately non withstanding."

"Oh, I know." Lana smiled a tight little smile and nodded. "But he's gotten very closed off these past few years. Remember how you could see everything he was feeling on his face? It was one of the things I loved most about him. Now, it's like looking at a beautiful statue – except when he smiles." Lana's smile grew more sincere and warmer at the thought, and Chloe frowned.

"Do you really think you'll have emotional sincerity with LEX?" Chloe asked, and Lana chuckled.

"Probably not, but Lex doesn't lie to me. He may not tell me what he's feeling at any given moment, but, " she paused for a moment, "at least I know where I stand with him." Lana stood and walked back to her bed. "With Clark, I always got the sense that he loved me, but you know, it would have been nice to believe it really. All this temper and carrying on didn't really have anything to do with me, I don't think."

"Lana, we'll always stay friends, right? You aren't going to let this thing with Lex come between us?" Chloe went to Lana, who had hung her head again, hiding her face between the long dark length of her hair. "I mean, you and Lois are the closest thing I have to sisters, and I'd hate to not have you in my life."

"Chloe, I don't know." Lana whispered. "I really don't. You know Clark's secret and you're not telling me – I'm being left out by you and him now…if there are secrets between us, then we can never…"

"Lana, you are the one that's making this be about secrets!" Chloe exclaimed, taking Lana by the shoulders. "You are the one that this is a problem for. Everyone has secrets, everyone has things that they don't want everyone in the world to know. Why should Clark be any different? Don't you have things about yourself you'd rather not share?" It was an innocent and rhetorical question, but it had an immediate effect on Lana.

Her face grew pale and her eyes widened. It was as if she'd been slapped, Chloe thought feeling suddenly guilty, and she pulled Lana close in a remorseful hug. Lana hugged her back, giving her a quick squeeze then breaking the embrace. She did not meet Chloe's eyes.

"Yes, I guess you are right, Chloe. We all have things about ourselves that we don't want to share with others. We all have things we can only share with certain people, and I guess you are that person for Clark and Lex is that person for me."

If Chloe had bet that Clark was in Wichita, she'd have lost. There had been some talk of his going, but his class load at Central Kansas A&M really wouldn't permit it, with so many credits to make up from the time he'd taken off. At any rate, Pete was still away at school, too, and would not be home from Stanford until the semester was over. Instead, Clark had waved goodbye to his mother and Lois, and looked forward to some quiet time at home. He had given some thought to going up to the Fortress of Solitude - but his history book had a bigger claim on his time. So, Clark was home alone, he and Shelby, the golden retriever. The dog snored peacefully while Clark tried to apply himself to his reading assignment for History. The professor who had taken over for Dr. Fine was a tough, but fair woman, and she had quickly filled in the gaps in Dr. Fine's syllabus with intense reading assignments and long essays following. Actually, the new professor and her grinding assignments were a fair excuse to avoid everyone. Still not quite past the death of his father, and reeling from Lana's involvement with Lex, Clark for the first time in a long time was feeling more than a little off kilter. The thing about Lana and Lex is that he'd been blind for not seeing that coming. Lex had always made every effort to help and protect Lana, making Jason and Mrs. Teague just vanish, as well as this new quest for the more recent ship from Krypton were all part of the big picture. Yeah, he had spent a great deal of time giving into the impulse to follow them, to try and protect Lana but it had all backfired, and he had come off like a stalker. He felt like a prize idiot. It was time to let go, Clark thought to himself, setting his textbook down and staring out into the empty kitchen. He wasn't in love with Lana anymore, and hadn't been for quite some time. It had been a habit, more like an obsession, really, and being free from it even if not completely free was a release.

"So, Shelby, what do we do now, huh?" Clark asked his dog, whose tail thumped on the floor in reply. "Should we see who is still talking to us?" Shelby lifted his head from the floor, and Clark laughed. "Okay, should I see who is still talking to me?"

As if on cue, Clark's cell phone rang. Without looking, he answered.

"Mom? Everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, Smallville." Lois' voice, so irritating in person, was actually quite attractive on the phone, and Clark smiled. "Your mother asked me to remind you that the food in the refrigerator is supposed to be for BOTH of you." Lois laughed a little. "Aside from that, I called just to see if you wouldn't change your mind about being alone and…"

"I'm not coming to Wichita, Lois." Clark replied, hating himself for the edge in his voice.

"Yeah, right. No, it's Chloe. Lana is moving out of the dorm this weekend, and Chloe is a little blue. So, why not salvage your relationship with your only friend and do a good deed at the same time?" Lois answered smoothly and Clark hated her for reading his mind from so far away. It was bad enough when she did it in person. "I'd go, but duty calls."

"And you're all about duty, Lois." Clark laughed. "Actually, not to give you any credit for insight, but I was thinking of checking in on Chloe just before you called."

Lois laughed out loud, and Clark had to admit that he did enjoy hearing it. "Sure, Smallville, whatever. Just do it before the weekend is over. Oh and water my plants." She hung up still laughing, and Clark shoved his phone into his pocket as he stood up. It would be a fast trip to Metropolis and he'd call from the Met U campus. If Chloe didn't want to see him, it would be like he took a jog around the farm to clear his head.

Chloe answered her phone on the third ring, having just helped Lana with the last load of clothes from the dorm room.

"Hello?" Chloe breathed, and her cousin's voice replied.

"Hey, Chloe, just thought I'd give you a heads up. Clark's going to be around to see you sometime this weekend. He was just moping around the farm. So, take pity on him and pretend you were lonely or something, okay?" Lois asked, and Chloe felt a tingle run from her feet to her shoulders.

"Clark and I don't have a problem, Lois. I keep telling you that. He's the one keeping to himself. I just wanted to give him his space."

"Good, so you'll hang out with him, then?" Lois's gift for ignoring what was said to her and aiming for the real heart of the issue was annoying, Chloe thought. "And don't tell him I called you."

"When your political career doesn't pan out, you should try diplomacy." Chloe replied archly, and Lois laughed.

"No, I'll just become a reporter. It shouldn't be too hard. I'll just pretend to be you. 'Bye Chloe, love ya."

"Love you, too." Chloe hung up laughing. There was a brief knock on the door, and Clark's head appeared around the partially open door.

"Hey, Chloe." He had the good grace to look a little embarrassed as he slid his large frame through the small space of the door.

"Hey yourself." Chloe dropped the phone on her bed and folded her arms. "And where have you been lately?" She tipped her head and looked up at him.

"Okay, I've been a jerk." Clark held his hands up in the air. "A big jerk. I wanted to get my head together before I inflicted myself on anyone. I was wrong about Lana, and I was wrong about, well a lot of things."

"Hmm." Chloe nodded. "So, why keep yourself hidden from me? I'm supposed to be your best friend." She watched Clark's eyes as they took inventory of the newly empty space on Lana's side of the room. "I mean, it's not like she and Lex were…"

Clark turned and looked at her. Not for the first time, Chloe felt a tug in her stomach, as his impossibly blue-green eyes seemed to ask her a thousand questions. It seemed an eternity before he finally smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. I kinda thought you'd be mad at me, too. As for Lex being here, I don't really see him hanging around while Lana does her Astronomy homework."

"Ha." Chloe squinted a little and nodded. "So, it was my being mad at you that kept you from being here." She walked closer and peered up at Clark. "Why would I be mad, Clark? Because you acted like super-stalker and didn't take my advice?"

"Yeah, something like that." Clark grinned and Chloe felt herself falling in love with Clark all over again. Though wrong about many, many things, Lana was right about his smile. Even Lois had a hard time resisting, Chloe thought with a little pang.

"Chloe?" Clark looked down into Chloe's face. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Chloe closed her eyes and shook her head, clearing her mind of the image of Lois and Clark together. "What did you have in mind for today?" She asked, smiling brightly.

It was Clark's turn to feel a little lightheaded. He had always thought Chloe was pretty, but her smile was priceless, all hope and fun. Even Lana's happy smiles were a little sad. "I don't know, we could go to that new Riverfront area and check it out, how does that sound?"

"That's a good idea. I think there is something about that in the Planet this week." Chloe looked down at her clothes. "Okay, space boy, disappear for a half hour so I can get cleaned up." She shooed him from her room, and when the door closed behind him, she leaned on it, her heart racing. "Get a grip, girl." Chloe whispered. "It's so the wrong time for getting weak in the knees."

As it turned out, the Metropolis River Walk was an inspired idea. It was a golden afternoon, just warm enough with a light breeze. There was even a free concert series going on, mercifully sponsored by Wayne Industries and other non-LuthorCorp friendly companies. Chloe had no desire to see anything related to Lex and his father. It would ruin a perfectly good afternoon, and Chloe was sure that Clark, who was putting on a good show for her sake, would have been unable to master even a fake smile if the LuthorCorp logo was plastered over everything. However, Chloe had to say something about the lack of even the subliminal presence of Lionel and Lex.

"I wonder if Bruce Wayne is here, given his name is everywhere." Chloe observed tentatively, "This is a major coup, getting this development deal away from LuthorCorp."

"Yeah, well, I guess Lex has his mind on other things." Clark's tone was not at all morose or sad. "Looks like Wayne Industries can really put together a party."

People were everywhere, and Chloe pulled out her press pass, eyeing the state of the art band shell. Clipping it to the collar of her jacket, she grinned up at Clark happily.

"You just never know when an opportunity for a story will come up – since this is the event of the week." She looked around as if a story idea was going to step up and introduce itself, and Clark laughed, shaking his head.

"How about some lunch first?" Clark grabbed Chloe's hand and led her to the row of food vendors that had set up near the band shell. Once they had settled down at a table with their lunch, Clark began to scan the crowd himself.

"What do you think Bruce Wayne is like?" He asked finally, after a very large bite of his cheeseburger.

"Like?" Chloe looked up from her panini sandwich in surprise. "You mean, are all boy billionaires the same?"

Clark grinned and rolled his eyes. "I remember Lex saying he lost his parents young, in some sort of robbery. He was a loner; Lex said that even at school, Bruce Wayne excelled in sports that he didn't have to interact with anyone with – swimming, track, and martial arts. I just wondered if he was still a loner, or if he'd ever gotten past losing his parents."

"You're thinking about Lana." Chloe put her sandwich down, sighing in frustration. "Come on, Clark. Not now, not today."

"Not the way you think, Chloe." Clark took another bite of his burger, and Chloe knew it was more to avoid saying something he might regret.

"No Fifth Amendment, Clark. Why the connection between Bruce Wayne and Lana Lang? Is he scheduled to be smitten with the Smallville Princess next?" Chloe could not control the bitterness in her voice, and this time Clark laughed out loud.

"Oh, no!" Chloe loved when Clark laughed. His whole face lit up and his eyes, which were beautiful already, just seemed to take on a jewel-like sparkle. "I'm just thinking about how long it takes to overcome a trauma like that. My dad being gone now, too. I don't think Dad would want my pain over losing him to ruin the rest of my life." His manner grew more serious. "Lana was four when her parents died. Bruce Wayne was eight, Lex was about twelve when his mother and brother died, and you were five when your mother first left. How long does it take to get over it – losing a parent?"

"Wow, Clark." Chloe put her hand on his, and was surprised when Clark didn't pull it away. He was always good at giving an affectionate touch, but not good at receiving physical contact. "I always knew my mother was alive some place, I just didn't know where until recently. All I can say, from my own experience, is that you just sort of get used to not having them around. You don't ever forget them, and you never stop loving them, but you do get used to not having them around."

"I guess." Clark looked down at his discarded burger, and then at Chloe's hand on his. When he looked up at her again, Chloe was completely unprepared for the raw emotion in his eyes. She could not even begin to separate them, and Clark had always been an easy read for her. "I'm thinking this burger was a bad idea."

"Hmm." Chloe laughed, and pushed the rest of her sandwich across the table, which Clark accepted gratefully and ate so fast Chloe swore he'd inhaled it. "Now what?"

"Well, there's dessert, and we'll see if your press pass is any good." Clark grinned, standing. He quickly gathered up their trash, dumped it and then, seemingly without thinking, held out his hand to Chloe. She slid her hand into his, and once again, Clark looked at their joined hands thoughtfully, as if it was all something new to him. He met her eyes and gave her a small, sidelong smile.

Chloe's press pass did manage to give them some access to the VIP areas of the festival, so it wasn't long before Chloe was in full reporter mode. She interviewed everyone and anyone she could, two or three brief questions before moving on to the next. Clark watched her in amazement; He'd always known Chloe was driven, but it was exciting to see her so completely in her element. Clark leaned against a doorframe, waiting for Chloe to get her story so they could pick up their evening of fun and distraction.

"Who's the reporter?" A low male voice came from beside Clark, making him jump. There weren't many people who could sneak up on him, and Clark felt his defenses go up. His companion nodded solemnly, his dark eyes taking Chloe in. The newcomer was about Lex's age, casually but expensively dressed, with light brown hair. His expression was completely inscrutable. Clark could sense the air of authority emanating from this man, and he was reminded of Lex and his ability to command a situation. This person had the same skill, but used it completely differently.

"That's Chloe Sullivan, from the Daily Planet." Clark offered his hand. "I'm Clark Kent, her friend."

"Hi, Clark." The man shook Clark's hand. "I'm Bruce, the host of this event."

Clark found himself a little taken aback, but Bruce Wayne took in his expression and held up a hand. "Please, don't. I'm only at this thing because I have to be. Good public image for Wayne Industries. I have a helicopter waiting on the helipad out back. In ten minutes, I'm out of here." Unlike Lex, who liked to make an entrance, Bruce Wayne was much better at exits, Clark realized, and found himself respecting Bruce on moments acquaintance.

"Right." Clark nodded. "I won't let her know I saw you, then. She'll keep you here for hours. Scoop of the century, "Bruce Wayne In The Heart of Luthorland'." He gestured toward Chloe, who glanced over with an excited smile, waved quickly, and turned back to the longhaired rocker she was interviewing.

"As much as I have no objection to long conversations with pretty blonde reporters," Bruce seemed to be studying Chloe very intently. "I get the idea that this one would be all business with me." He smiled, and Clark got the idea that Bruce Wayne was not a man who smiled often. "See you around, Clark Kent." Bruce Wayne clapped Clark on the shoulder absently, and disappeared as silently as he had appeared. Clark heard a soft, almost menacing chuckle behind him, and then, almost as if Bruce could sense his thoughts, "Keep your eye on her, Clark. If you're not careful, someone could scoop her away." Clark looked around, but all he saw was the door to the helipad behind the band shell close with a soft click in its frame.

"I can't believe you met Bruce Wayne!" Chloe wailed, an hour later as they ate ice cream back on the boardwalk. "I'm walking around interviewing has been 80's rockers and you just casually have a chat with the most elusive billionaire in the United States!"

"I wasn't going to tell you." Clark said, teasing. "As a matter of fact, HE even asked me to keep it quiet. But, since you're my friend, I thought I'd let you know."

Chloe stuck her tongue out at Clark, and he laughed out loud, leaning down to kiss her nose, leaving a trace of chocolate ice cream on her freckles.

"So, what did he say? Come on, Clark!" she pleaded, allowing him to have the excuse to wipe the ice cream off her nose with a napkin. "You know I can't stand it."

"He asked who you were, and said he was only here for PR reasons. Honest, Chloe it was a two second conversation, and that's that." Clark put the used napkin in his pocket and finished his ice cream.

"That's that? Wait," Chloe's hazel eyes took on a predatory gleam. "He asked about me?"

"Well, Chloe, we weren't exactly on the press list."

"I know, but what did he say?"

"He said, he had no objection to being interviewed by pretty blonde reporters, but he was out of there in 10 minutes." Clark repeated dutifully, and Chloe eyed him thoughtfully.

"What else, Kent? You can't hide anything from me."

"You're not getting a story out of it, Chloe." Clark sighed.

"No, I'm not looking for story. I'm looking to find out why you are suddenly being so cute with me." She poked him lightly on the chest. "Ever since, it's been almost like we're on a date."

"Chloe…" Clark blushed and Chloe jumped, realizing she hit a nerve.

"Spill it, Clark, or I swear, I'll…" Chloe bit her thumb while thinking up a suitable threat. How do you threaten someone who is bullet proof, fire resistant and stronger than the entire Metropolis Sharks football team? Her eyes lit up, and she frowned comically. "Tell me or I'll tell Lois you have a crush on her!"

"Ack!" Clark threw up his hands in mock horror. "Okay, okay! I'll talk. Anything but that!"

Chloe waved her hand. "I'm waiting."

"Okay. He said that I shouldn't let you get out of my sight, and that if I wasn't careful, someone could scoop you away from me." Clark repeated, watching Chloe's face as it expressed shock, surprise, and finally utter delight.  
"Clark Kent! Are you finally jealous?"

"Maybe. Maybe just a little." Clark laughed too, covering his face. "I can't believe I'm that transparent."

"Well," Chloe rocked back and forth on her feet, and grinned. "I'm going to let you stew in that for a little while, let you enjoy the emotion. And then maybe, just maybe, I'll let you kiss me later. " She practically skipped off, a bounce in her step and even her hair seemed to be amused. Clark watched her go, knowing that wherever she went, he'd not be far away, waiting for the moment where he'd get to actually kiss her.

Chloe yawned and stretched, blinking against the sunlight streaming through her window. Yesterday had been like a fantastic dream, and even now she wasn't sure it all had really happened. Sitting up, she looked across the room to Lana's vacated space. Clark had decided to not stay, but had gone home, saying he needed to check on Shelby, but Chloe knew that after the excitement of the day, and the rather surprising evening, Clark was being a gentleman. She leaned back against her pillow, remembering the sound of Clark's heart and how his kiss had swept her off her feet. A small fear nagged at the back of her mind, and without opening her eyes again, Chloe grabbed her phone and dialed Clark's number.

"Chloe!" As usual, Clark sounded as if he'd been awake for hours. "You up?"

"Not really, " Chloe yawned again, and Clark laughed. "How about you?"

"Before sunrise. Got the farm chores done, gave Shelby a bath, did some reading for one of my classes and started breakfast." Clark rattled off his morning innocently enough, and Chloe smiled thinking that the army couldn't possibly do more before 9:00 a.m. than Clark Kent properly motivated. "What are you doing today?" He asked, and Chloe looked over at her clock.

"I have to get to the Planet and write my articles about the Riverwalk festival and the concert. After that, probably just study. I'm liking the room to myself thing." She looked around again, and the bareness of Lana's side of the room really didn't bother her anymore.

"Oh." Clark sounded disappointed. "You could come down here and write the article, and then we could study together. I don't mind driving you back tonight."

"I know, but it's not just that." Chloe was glad she could not see Clark right now, because now that she was fully awake, reality was setting in. The small fear had blossomed into a large one, and Chloe had no intention of getting on the Clark go round again.

"What?" Clark asked. "Something wrong?"

"Well, I don't know. Look, Clark, last night was amazing, exciting, romantic and just a little unreal. You're still getting over Lana, and I'm not really into playing rebound girl again."

"Rebound girl? Chloe, are you serious?" His voice was low, and scandalized. In her heart, Chloe felt a small knife twist, knowing she was hurting him, but it was for both of their good.

"Yeah, Clark, I am…" Chloe heard the line go dead. "Clark, Clark! Oh, damn!" She bolted out of bed and raced to get dressed, but before she could finish brushing her teeth, Clark knocked on the door.

"Chloe?" Clark opened the door, but did not look around the door as he usually did. "Are you dressed?"

"Yes, I'm dressed, you big dumb alien. Like you couldn't see through the door." Chloe replied, testy. Clark entered the room, frowning at her insult and suddenly seeming huge in the small dorm room.

"Wow. Big dumb alien. Hello to you too, Chloe." Clark dropped down to sit on the other bed in the room. "What did I do now? " He looked at the door. "I wouldn't use my powers to invade your privacy, Chloe."

Chloe folded her arms across her chest. Clark looked tired, a little beaten down and not at all like he did last night when they had said goodnight outside her door.

"You didn't do anything. That's just it. And I think it's probably best if it stays that way, Clark."

"So, this is about yesterday." Clark nodded. He did not stand, but sat a little straighter, squaring his shoulders and ran his hands through his impossible black hair. His green-blue eyes twinkled. "Well, let me have it."

"You just broke up with Lana, played the hermit for three weeks and now you're making moon faces at me. We've been here before, Clark, and I don't think I could stand it again. When Lex and Lana end it, you will be right back with her, and I'm left here with all these feelings…" Chloe shuddered at the word, and Clark frowned again. "So, while yesterday was really something for the scrapbook, I think I'll take a pass at the romance stuff." She paused, watching his reaction. Several emotions ran across Clark's face, and he did not move at all. "I don't want to hurt you, but I can't stand being hurt by you again." Finished, Chloe sat down across from Clark on her own bed, and then put her hands over her mouth, not believing what she had just said.

"Wow." Clark shook his head, as if clearing cobwebs from his mind. "Not the conversation I expected to have today." He stood and walked to the door. "Okay, Chloe. I totally understand. You're right, I haven't given you any reason to believe things might be different this time, and I'm not making any promises." Clark let one of his hands rest on the doorknob. "I was up all night trying to get my head around yesterday, Chloe. But this morning, Lana stopped by and everything got real clear."

"You see!" Chloe groaned, and Clark turned and stared at her. "Lana. Kyla, Lana, Alicia, Lana again. It's always Lana. I don't want to be a spacer in that relationship Clark." As always, Clark's stare was beyond comprehension, and Chloe looked away, afraid that he'd see too much in her face.

"You've never been a spacer, Chloe." He replied gently. "That's the thing. It's always been you AND Lana. I had everything all mixed up. I guess that's because I'm a big dumb alien." He grinned. "Who tutored YOU in math and science for five years." Chloe did not want to see that his angelic smile had not even touched his eyes. They were full of something Chloe did not recognize, regret and something new, hopelessness. That look bothered her the most. "Lana was out riding, she'd come to Lex's mansion to see him last night, but he'd gone to Edge City to bail Lucas out of some trouble. I was out with Shelby, so I probably wouldn't have even seen her otherwise. I still had the VIP pass on my jacket and she noticed, so I told her about the day." Clark walked back to the bed and sat down across from Chloe again. "I want you to hear this, Chloe. It's important. I'd been up all night, thinking about you and me and how screwed up everything has been. Apparently, Lana had been up all night, too, thinking about Lex and the conversation you and she had before she moved out. And I realized something."

"What was that?" Chloe swallowed around the lump that had formed in her throat.

"I never wanted to tell Lana my secret because I was afraid."

"Yeah, big news, Clark."

"No, I thought I was afraid for her, but I was afraid for me." Clark laughed ruefully and hung his head. "I made it about being afraid for her, but I was afraid OF her."

"Afraid? Of Lana?" Chloe was incredulous. "You have got to be kidding."

"I'm not. Look, Chloe – I trusted you because I knew I could. You found out about me and still let me tell you in my time, my way. You were accepting of however much of myself I felt I could give you at one time, not asking or expecting more. Lana always wanted more, more. It was never enough. When I was mortal, it was easy, because that was really all there was. But, even if I had stayed mortal, there would have been something else. By the time I saw Lana this morning, I had just about made up my mind anyway."

"To what?" Chloe didn't even want to guess. It was a rare occasion when the usually recitent Clark Kent spilled his guts so much.

"To doing what it took to win you." Clark smiled. "As long as it takes. Show you I was worthy. Knight in shining armor stuff. Buy you coffee and do your math homework. I already know I love you, Chloe. I want to find out if it's in love." He took her hands in his, and like every time he had occasion to touch her in some way, Chloe was amazed at how gentle he could be for someone so strong. "Because if it's really in love, then I have a lot of time to make up for. All the time I let get by me because I thought feeling sorry for and protective of Lana was the same as being in love with her."

"I don't believe it." Chloe said, shaking her hands free of his grip. "It's too weird, and that's a lot, coming from me. I must be dreaming. Go ahead, Clark, pinch me. " She held out her arm, but Clark didn't touch her. He looked down at her hand for a long minute, and Chloe had an odd thought that he was counting her freckles.

"Tell me about it." Finally, Clark spoke again, breaking the silence with a chuckle. He seemed to want to pull her close, but he didn't. "Nothing weirder than being awake at four in the morning and just realizing how stupid you've been. But I'm going to let you call the shots, Chloe. I'm here. I love you. When you are ready to move forward, I'll step out of the friend box." He squeezed her hands and stood. "I'm going home now. Give you some time to think about all of this, and decide where you want to be. No pressure." He bent down and kissed the top of her head, and released her hands. Two steps got him to the door, and he opened it this time and went to walk out. "I'll talk to you later."

Chloe stood quickly, and opened her mouth, then shut it again with a snap. Clark had turned around, waiting for her to speak. Finally, when she was able to get the words out, she spoke.

"This isn't red Kryptonite talking, or some alien virus, or anything like that, right? I mean, tomorrow isn't going to come and you've forgotten everything you just said or go running back to Lana the minute Lex gets bored with her?"

"Chloe." Clark closed the door, and took her in his arms. "After today, I'll never, ever forget what I said right now. There is no Red Kryptonite that could make me change my mind, no alien virus that would take away what I realized last night, and nothing Lana could do would get me back with her. I swear to you. I'm yours. Good, bad or indifferent. And that's all." He kissed the top of her head and released her. "Now, I'm going home, and you can pick up your day where you left off. I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, later." Chloe replied puzzled wonder on her face. "You're just going to leave, after saying all of that? Not going to wait for my reaction?"

"Nope." Clark grinned at her mischievously and then walked out the door.

Lana's Jeep sat in the driveway, and Lex wasn't altogether surprised to see it still there. She had been pretty mad when he'd called from the road, on the way to Edge City. There was something about an emotional conversation with Chloe that Lana was upset about, and Lex could feel Lana's emotions becoming a burden already. He pulled the Porsche in behind the Jeep and got out. It had been an all-nighter, pulling Lucas out of the latest of the stupid and expensive mishaps, then driving home. He'd consoled himself first that Lana would be there, waiting – but then, that became a bit of a reason to not rush home.

Lana was asleep in the study, curled up under a pale pink blanket that Lex did not recognize as one of his own. He knelt beside the couch and gently pushed the hair from her face. Beautiful, truly, he thought, resisting the urge to kiss her awake. Lana had always made him think of fairy tale princesses and magic spells, but Lex was always sure to not treat her that way. The Fordman kid had done that; Jason Teague had also given in to that. Clark also put her on a pedestal, and look where that had gotten him. Lex could smell her shampoo, and the jasmine fragrance she always wore, but something else, something, animal. He sneezed twice, which woke Lana.

"Oh, hey." She smiled at him, reaching up to touch his face. "Just get in?"

"Yeah." Lex smiled back at her. "You know, there are several rooms in this place that would have been more comfortable for you than the couch in my study."

"I know. I slept in your room last night." Lana sat up and kissed Lex quickly. "But after I went for a ride this morning, I sat here to wait for you and fell asleep again."

"Ah, that explains the horse smell." Lex nodded. "Sorry for being gone so long, but Lucas will be Lucas." He stood and walked to the bar, pouring himself a glass of mineral water. "So what did you do all by yourself here? You could have gone back to Metropolis. I'm sure Chloe could have put you up for another night."

Lana chuckled, a rich, throaty laugh that suddenly made Lex hungry for her. "You're not going to believe this, Lex." Lana said, a cat that ate the canary smile on her face. "Chloe was on a work date."

"She met someone at the Planet? My, my, Archie is now without Veronica_ and_ Betty." Lex smirked, and Lana bounced on the sofa with the air of an excited little girl.

"No. It's better. She was with Clark."

"Clark?" Lex took a sip of water to keep his expression neutral. "Clark Kent that was in love with you for all these years?"

"Yes, and he's the one that told me about it. I saw him this morning when I was out riding. They had gone to that festival on the Riverwalk and then Chloe got to interview the bands. Things sort of happened from there." Lana leaned back on the sofa, her dark hair glorious spilled around her face and shoulders. "It makes perfect sense."

"Yes, it does have a rightness to it, doesn't it?" Lex sat down beside Lana on the sofa. "And it doesn't bother you at all?"  
"Should it?" Lana's tone was tense but she took his glass from his hand and sipped from it. "It makes sense to me because it should have always been Clark and Chloe. And that has been the big secret – the big thing Clark was keeping from us. That he was conflicted about me and Chloe."  
Lex stood, controlling his outrage. Clark's secret about who he actually loved? The little blonde troublemaker, or Lana? That was the big secret? The one Clark had tried to protect by lying and evading all this time? Lex thought not, but he schooled his emotions carefully and smiled.

"Well, then, now that you all know the secret, you can be friends again, right?" He hated the way that sounded, part-chiding father, part weird kid who keeps getting not invited to sit with the cool kids at lunch. He hated taking that tone with Lana, because she somehow managed to not see it for what it was, but related it back to herself.

"Right." Lana replied, one perfect eyebrow raised over her almond eyes. "Is that a problem?"

"No, I guess not. Not if you are okay with being lied to all this time." Lex put his hands on her shoulders. "Did you look around the place while I was gone?"

"No, Lex." Lana's voice was small, almost afraid. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason, I want you to feel at home here. But there is something I want to show you in one of the rooms here that makes me wonder if Clark Kent was being as honest and above board as you say." Lex smiled at Lana, drawing her close to him. He could feel her relax against him and that was how he wanted it. "Want to see?"

"Not now." Lana said, her voice husky and soft. "You must be tired after all that driving. Why don't we go upstairs…" She smiled up at him, and Lex nodded, stifling a laugh.

Things were going to be just fine after all, he thought, leading his girlfriend upstairs. Just fine.


	2. Curiouser & Curiouser

Later, after Lex had fallen asleep, Lana made her way back downstairs. She had every intention of getting in her jeep and driving over to the guesthouse to get her things settled. That arrangement was only temporary, at least until the condo Lex bought for her in Metropolis was ready. But a noise in the study drew her attention, and Lana felt a little like Alice in Wonderland as she entered the room.

Lionel Luthor was near the desk, concentrating on the conversation he was having on his cell phone.

"No, I don't think you understand, I want to find out when Bruce Wayne will be here in Metropolis, BEFORE he gets here. Old news doesn't do me any good, Myerson, so get with the program." He turned and seeing Lana, he nodded, bringing the conversation to an abrupt halt. "Just don't let me down again."

"Hello, Mr. Luthor, I was just getting ready to head over to the guest-house. I'll get out of your way." Lana turned to leave, but Lionel's smooth voice stopped her.

"No, no, Miss Lang, please." Lionel slid his phone into a pocket "We're practically family, now. The guesthouse? Well, Lex is certainly taking no chances with you." Lionel smiled, a shark smile, a crocodile smile, and Lana felt small and helpless.

Mustering all the bravado she could, Lana raised her chin. "It's temporary. I'm moving into a condo near school."

"Oh, yes." Lionel nodded, looking at her over his glasses. "That will be nice for you, won't it? Honestly, Miss Lang, my son has made very questionable real estate investments on your behalf. The Talon, now this loft condo near Met U. He's being quite generous, but I guess the usual diamond earrings aren't appropriate for Lana Lang." Lionel chuckled. " I understand you are quite devoted to truth, Ms. Lang."

"Who isn't?" Lana answered, feeling like Lionel was making fun of her. "I think that most people prefer to know the truth."

"Of course. I don't doubt it. I know that the truth was something that you and young Mr. Kent could not ever seem to agree on." Lionel continued to peer at her over his glasses, rubbing his chin with one long, elegant hand.

"That would be between Clark and myself, Mr. Luthor." Lana retorted, readjusting her purse on her shoulder. "It really doesn't concern you."

"It most certainly does concern me, Ms. Lang. You see, my son is used to playing things close to the vest – not showing all his cards to one person, so to speak. He has become very attached to you, for reasons that escape me, and with your penchant for rooting out 'secrets and lies', I think Lex will be very heartbroken, very fast."

"Lex and I have no secrets, Mr. Luthor." Lana said, feeling uncertain. "I trust him."

"Admirable, truly." Lionel took a step closer to Lana. "You trust him to tell you everything?  
"Yes." Lana nodded.

"I heard him tell you this morning he has information on Clark Kent, information that would prove to you that Clark Kent is less than honest. When you see what Lex has to show you, I want you to ask yourself something." Lionel leaned forward. "Ask yourself if you are not just an addition to Lex's little Clark Kent oddity collection."

"Thanks, Dad." Lex drawled from the doorway, and Lana turned, her mind puzzling over Lionel's words, and yet her heart filled with gratitude for Lex and his perfect timing.

However, this Lex in the doorway was not the one Lana felt comfortable with. His grey eyes were cold, his expression stony and the very air around him charged with an energy that made Lana uneasy. "I can only imagine you've been trying to welcome Lana in your own" Lex paused, rolling the word around in his mouth. "unique style."

"Unique?" Lionel, the consummate actor, looked insulted. "I've been filling Ms. Lang in on the challenges of a relationship with a Luthor. It's the least I can do." Lionel laughed softly and bowed slightly to Lana. "I'll leave you in Lex's capable hands." He raised his eyebrows at Lana, and smiled his sharky smile again. "A beautiful addition to the collection, Lex. Good work." Lionel shook his head and left the room, but his leaving did not lift the air of foreboding Lana felt closing in around her.

"I'm sorry, Lana." Lex said, suddenly softer, warmer. "Dad can be hard to deal with."

"I felt like I was drowning in a shark tank for a minute." Lana replied, taking Lex's hand in her own, seeking comfort. It was like holding velvet covered steel.

Lex thought over Lana's description, then smiled. "I guess we could come across that way, if you aren't used to us. Next time, just leave the room when he's here. You sure you're okay?"

'I'm fine." Lana spoke bravely, nodding. "Lex, earlier you said something about showing me evidence about Clark being dishonest with me? What kind of evidence?"

Lex's mild expression flickered, his grey eyes flashed with a gleam Lana did not like.

"I guess I could give you the grand tour, if you're up for it." Lex said, squeezing her hand. All traces of malice vanished from him, and were replaced with a shimmer of insecurity, which Lana absolutely adored in Lex. "I hope whatever Dad said to you doesn't make you question my feelings for you, Lana. We're in this together."

"Just keep being honest with me, Lex." Lana smiled, cuddling close to him. "And you'll have nothing to worry about."

Fifteen minutes later, with the hum of florescent lighting overhead, Lana regretted her innocent assurances to Lex in the study. There would have been no way to be prepared for this room, no words could express what was going through Lana's head. The

Alice in Wonderland feeling she had experienced in the study was just a delicate hint at how Lana felt right now. She had stepped through the looking glass and everything around her made Lana question everything she had ever known to be true or believed about Clark, and Lex. This made even Chloe's old Wall of Weird seem just amusing by comparison. Everywhere, images of Clark, computer modeling of the accident Lex had when he first moved to Smallville, bullets, hunks of meteor rock, and even the pieces of the necklace that Simone had worn to hypnotize Clark. That was only the beginning, and Lana walked around the room, mesmerized, as she had when she first entered the Louvre in Paris last year. It was overwhelming, overpowering and Lana felt like she was being sucked out with an irresistible tide. And as repulsed as she was by being in the room, she could not stop herself from investigating it. There were images of the petroglyphs in the caves, a replica of the gravestone of Countess Isabelle Theroux, various artifacts from the temple in China, oddly enough, an octagonal piece of metal, with the petroglyphs from the caves embedded in it. She stopped at a photo of Clark, Chloe and herself, a candid snapped on a random day at the Talon. They were all so happy that day for whatever reason, and now, nothing could take back what Lana had seen, what she was learning, and how sick the presence of Lex was making her. She could not look at him at all.

"I don't know what to say, Lex." Lana turned away from the photo, her eyes landing on an illuminated copy of a legal document that turned out to be a copy of Clark's adoption papers. "I mean, why just falls short."

"Why?" Lex choked on the word. "Lana, you're a bright girl. Put it together."

"You're obsessed with Clark Kent. I get that." Lana nodded, keeping to the perimeter of the room, her eyes avoiding Lex, who was standing next to a block of twisted metal. "I don't want to ask why, Lex. If you are in love with him…" She trailed off hopelessly, searching for the right thing to say. "I know Clark isn't that way, but he'd…"

"Oh, come on, Lana." Lex sneered at her, his face a study in disgust. "I'm not some high school girl writing the name of the star quarterback all over my notebook. This is not about 'love' and 'desire' at all. Clark's secret isn't about whether he prefers blondes or brunettes, either." Lex paused and looked at Lana sharply. "You really don't see the where this all connects, do you?"

"No, I don't." Lana saw her own picture, the awful 'Time' magazine cover from after the first meteor shower. "I can't, Lex. Not right now. This is all a little overwhelming."

She laughed nervously and raised her hands in the air. "Look at this place. All you need is vial of his blood and a hair sample."

"I almost had the blood," Lex mused, then noting the horror on Lana's face, shook his head. He walked to her and ignored the fact that she flinched as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Lana, think about it. The second meteor shower brought a huge ship with it, big enough for those two aliens to arrive in. What if the first shower had a ship too, a small one, say big enough for a small child, oh, about three or four years old to ride in."

"Are you thinking Clark is like those aliens? That's ridiculous. Lex, I've seen him bleed a thousand times! My God, I watched him die!" Lana wailed, pulling herself from Lex's grip. "Clark is a lot of things, Lex, but this is going too far."

"Is it? Lana, it's the ONLY thing that makes sense. You watched him die, but you've never been able to explain the miracle of his resurrection." Lex reached for Lana again, but she moved out of his reach. "I've tried to tell myself it's not true, Lana. Do you think I want to believe that Clark Kent is like those aliens that nearly killed you?"

"I don't know what to believe, Lex." Lana looked around the room again. "So, is your father right? Am I just one more part of the collection, Lex? Another Clark Kent curiosity- the girl that lost her virginity with him? Do you need to know if I was HIS first too, Lex? Because I was." Her voice was pure venom. "Is that all you needed?"

"No." Lex hung his head. "I wish it were that simple, Lana. Because then I could just let you walk out of here and not care one way or the other." He looked up at her, and Lana could see traces of tears in his silver eyes, something she had never seen in all the years she and Lex had known each other. "I have your pictures in here, and now your actual testimony that you did sleep with Clark. That, for the purposes of this room would be enough. But, for me, it's not. I showed you this room, because its my darkest secret, my deepest fear, and I love you enough to share it with you. In the Greek myth, Pandora opens the box and lives to regret it. She never gets to give up the guilt and responsibility of what the box had inside. This is my Pandora's box, and I'm showing it to you."

"Lex?" Lana took a step toward Lex and stopped. "You showed this to me because you love me? You love me and you wanted to burden me with this?"  
"Yes, Lana. I don't think we'd have any kind of chance going forward if you didn't know about all the skeletons in my closets. And I have plenty of them, believe me. Secrets and lies are what ended you and Clark, really, and you can't say that it wasn't. I don't want that to be what destroys us, Lana." Lex smiled ruefully and rubbed his eyes. "If you can love me in spite of this room, be my partner in nailing down this mystery of Clark Kent, then we can accomplish anything."

"But if Clark is one of these aliens, Lex, so what?" Lana took another small step in Lex's direction. "He's not hurt anyone, hasn't tried to take over the world. He's just Clark Kent, taking care of his family farm and going to school."

"It seems that way, Lana, I'll give you that." Lex closed the distance between them and took Lana's hand in his own. She did not pull away. "But if he is really one of the same kind of aliens that landed here this fall, then we need to know what he's capable of, and how to keep him in line if he tried."

"Lex, it was a leap for you to show me this room, to trust me with so much." Lana turned to him, the fear and revulsion she had felt earlier dissolving. "I can't say I understand all of it, or that I agree with your conclusion, but I'll help you, as much as I can." She reached up and put her hand on his cheek. "I want to believe that you love me, Lex. That I'm not just a part of this insane collection of yours. I'm willing to believe all that, because I love you, too."

Lex pulled her to him in a possessive embrace that left Lana breathless. "Lana, I'll do what ever I have to so you never doubt my feelings for you. No matter what happens, we'll always face it, together."

Chloe had decided to go to Smallville about ten minutes after Clark had sped off. She knew she'd never catch him before he got back to Smallville, but the three hour drive would be enough for her to work out what went on in her room earlier. Clark loved her. It did not feel strange to think it, nor did it feel even slightly unreal, after dreaming about that very thing for years. Her feelings for him had never changed, except to mellow and grow. But, to let go enough to _act_ on them? Chloe didn't know if she could. She'd spent too much time being Clark's best friend, and trying to forget about being in love with him, that she was afraid that when it all came down to it, she'd be the one hurting Clark, and not the other way around.

Closing her door behind her, Chloe marched out of the dorm and into the bright Sunday morning. She marched to her car and got in, setting her mp3 player for the long drive. Music was the best constant companion Chloe could think of – that and coffee, but Clark's declaration had pulled her out of her morning stupor better than any Kona blend could have. Chloe set her cell phone on it's dashboard mount and put the ear-piece in place. She turned the key in the ignition and suddenly got the feeling that there was no turning back from this moment. Whatever happened from right now would define the rest of their lives.

"Well, let's do this." Chloe said to herself. She put the car in gear and headed off to face Clark.

"Catch it, Shelby!" Clark threw the red Frisbee easily, and the dog jumped, his golden coat flashing in the afternoon light. Hanging out with Shelby was probably one of the most relaxing ways Clark could think of to spend his time. He didn't want to think about what Chloe's reaction would be. He had acted on impulse, but it had made sense and felt absolutely right. There'd be no blaming Chloe if she rejected him, Clark thought tossing the Frisbee again. I've been at the center of some really strange stuff, Clark thought, glad that at least Chloe knew his secret. If things went well, her knowing would help them get over hurdles that were sure to keep coming. Clark could not imagine life without Chloe, that was for sure. Clark watched as Shelby brought the Frisbee back, tail wagging.

Chloe's phone rang, and she answered it, touching the control on the earpiece.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Sullivan?" An unfamiliar male voice said, "This is Bruce Wayne."

"Get out." Chloe laughed. "Come on, Clark, this isn't funny. I'll be there in an hour and half.'  
"I'm not trying to be funny, Ms. Sullivan." She could hear a smile in his voice. "I've not been accused of being funny often, either."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Wayne." Chloe apologized quickly. "I thought you might be a friend playing a joke. After I found that I missed you at the concert yesterday, I've been kicking myself for not realizing you were, well., You – when I saw you with Clark, I mean. I would have loved an interview with you."

"Yeah, me too. "Bruce Wayne said amiably. "I did have to go, had an appointment in Gotham City I couldn't miss. So, I was thinking, if you haven't sent your piece about yesterday in yet, maybe we could set up that interview after all. I know it's Sunday, and I won't be back in Metropolis for at least a week."

"You're in Metropolis? Gosh, I'd hate to be your pilot." Chloe laughed, and Bruce Wayne did too.

"Yeah, he's got it hard. I do the flying and he plays video games in the cabin. It's a great arrangement. Anyway, Ms. Sullivan, I gather that you are on your way somewhere, so I'm not going to impose on your Sunday plans, but how about next Friday? I'll be in town for a lecture at Met U I'm giving on business ethics, we could get together after that."

"Are you kidding?" Chloe felt herself blush and willed the butterflies in her stomach to stop flying around. "That would be wonderful."

"Good. Tell your friend Clark that he's welcome too. I don't want to deprive you of your body guard."

"Oh, it's not like that," Chloe began, and then stopped herself. "But, I'm sure he'd like the chance to meet you again too."

"Great." Bruce Wayne said, his tone businesslike. "Friday evening, around seven" There was a long pause, and Chloe wondered what he was thinking. "See you then." He hung up, and Chloe gave a squeal of delight. What a story! She couldn't wait to tell Clark. And suddenly, any doubt she had about taking him up on his offer vanished. It didn't matter who hurt who this time, or if Lana made a surprise reappearance, reclaiming her right to Clark. Chloe laughed to herself, amazed that she had missed the obvious the whole time – Clark was right. He had always trusted her, even when she'd nearly betrayed him out of jealousy, the few times he'd been mad at her had ended with genuine forgiveness. She was willing to believe that he'd loved her the whole time and was too blinded by a childhood infatuation to act on it. Willing to believe it because after all of her own efforts to keep him strictly in her mind and heart as her friend, she never quite made it happen. She loved investigating with him, loved teasing him and spending time with him. Chloe even loved Martha Kent. There wasn't anyone else she wanted, no guy she'd ever been involved with that even came close to how she felt about Clark, none that caused her heart to leap every single time she looked at him. There was no other way to handle this situation, Chloe thought. And I don't care what happens, she told herself, her heart racing at the thought of seeing Clark at the end of the drive. She gripped the steering wheel tight, setting her mind on the next task, preparing for meeting Bruce Wayne on Friday. It would be a career-making interview, and Chloe could just about contain her excitement.

Bruce Wayne looked at the collection of papers around him. He'd closed on his purchase of Dr. Virgil Swann's research last week, but had only taken possession of some of the work last night. The idea had been to make sure it was all preserved at the Wayne Planetarium, all of the extraterrestrial research catalogued and assimilated into the daily star shows, with Dr. Swann himself providing the recorded commentary. Bruce had admired Dr. Swann greatly, and hated the fact that he'd been away when the great man had passed. That Wayne Industries would house the research had been a foregone conclusion, but there were huge pieces of information that Bruce could not figure out. Missing items, and the fact that the Luthors had been his main competition for the work had all bumped the issue up from a simple transfer of data to a mission quest that Bruce was not about to drop. He picked up a CD and popped it into the drive of his computer. A picture of a smiling Clark Kent appeared on the computer screen, and Bruce frowned at it thoughtfully.

"What have you got to do with Dr. Swann, I wonder." Bruce said to the picture on the screen. He'd give Chloe Sullivan an interview, as a hand up to an ambitious young reporter and a chance to actually meet her. But, if it also put him in contact with someone who was so central to Dr. Swann's research, then so much the better.

"Alfred?"

As always, the Englishman's voice replied, calm and cool through the intercom. "Yes, Mr. Wayne?"

"When you make the arrangements for my trip to Metropolis next week, find me a nice, quiet place for an interview, please."

"You're giving an interview, sir?" Alfred's shock was tinged with good humor. "With the blonde Ms. Sullivan of the Daily Planet?"

"Yes, Alfred. And make sure the reservation is for three, if you don't mind. She'll be bringing a chaperone."

Chloe pulled into the Kents driveway, and seeing Clark and Shelby on the porch, she honked her horn twice, waving. Shelby leapt from the porch and raced to the car, eager to be first to greet her.

"Hi Shelby!" Chloe hugged the dog, laughing as he licked her face. "I'm glad to see you too." Clark had followed his dog to Chloe, and stood smiling at her as she got out of the car. "Hello to you too, Clark."

"I had a different greeting planned, but Shelby beat me to it." Clark teased, taking her laptop and bad from her to carry in the house. I'm glad you decided to come over, Chloe."

"Me too. Clark, guess what?" Chloe pulled on his arm, excited. "Bruce Wayne called me."

"Called you? How did he get your number?" Clark asked, more than a little suspicious.

"I don't know." Chloe frowned herself, looking at her cell phone. "I guess billionaires have their methods. Oh, relax, Clark. I'm sure he just called The Planet and got it from someone."

"I suppose." Clark replied, "What did he want?"

"Okay." Chloe took a deep breath, smiling so wide Clark could barely stand to not hug her. "He wants me to interview him this Friday."

"Really?" They were walking up the path to the house, and Clark stopped. "I thought he didn't give interviews."

"I know. That's why this is such a big deal, Clark. Out of all the reporters in Metropolis, he chose me. And he even invited you to be there. Isn't that great?"

Chloe was so excited, and Clark nodded in agreement. He suddenly remembered

Bruce Wayne's warning about keeping Chloe close. It was all he wanted to do, but he wasn't going to hold on too tightly – Chloe needed to be happy, after all the years of waiting for him, if her feelings had changed, then Clark realized he'd have to accept that. Chloe was going up the porch steps ahead of Clark, and she turned abruptly, nearly knocking him backwards. Clark caught his balance, and when their eyes met again, both Clark and Chloe couldn't help but giggle.

"I've been thinking about your confession today, Mr. Kent." Chloe said, when the giggles passed, casually putting her arms around Clark's neck.

"Oh?" Clark was the picture of surprised innocence. "I forgot all about that."

"Clark!" Chloe shook him a little, and he laughed again. "You didn't!"

"I didn't forget, Chloe." Clark reached up to brush her hair away from her face. "I promised I wouldn't."

"I'm glad. I've known how I felt about you for, well, forever." Chloe said, resting her hands on Clark's shoulders. "I came here ready to tell you forget it, that I didn't think either of us needed to be hurt again this way. But it hurt to even think about that – keeping things the way they've been. I don't think I could stand it." Her eyes filled with tears, and she bowed her head. "Besides, I have to catch you before someone shows up with some other way to enchant you. Maybe if I love you enough, you'll learn how to avoid that stuff."

"If you love me enough?" Clark repeated, looking into her eyes. "Does that mean you still love me? That you're willing to give me a chance…"

"You know, Clark, I think we talk WAY too much." Chloe laughed, kissing Clark, who was finally all hers.


	3. Myths & Methods

Fidgeting in her seat, Chloe gnawed at her thumbnail, listening to Bruce Wayne's lecture on Business Ethics. Friday had come so fast she barely had time to be prepared for this interview. There had been much published about Bruce Wayne in the last two years: all about his heroic rescue of his father's company from the clutches of the greedy CEO who had taken over when Bruce was a young boy; the Wayne Foundation that provided millions to charities like Habitat For Humanity, including practically restoring a large section of the hurricane torn areas in the South as well as several mentions in more than one society gossip column attaching him to one supermodel or heiress after another. That did not include the several significant scientific and technological breakthroughs that Wayne Industries had patented, either. Chloe studied the man on the stage, trying to apply the propaganda with the figure before her. Bruce Wayne was tall, about Clark's height, which seemed impossible, with dark blonde hair and the darkest eyes Chloe had ever seen. He was dressed in a suit that would have made Lex absolutely envious, cut to perfection, with just the right shirt and tie combination. There was not a single flaw in the man that was visible, Chloe thought appreciatively. He had it all, looks, money, brains. So why was there a big fat black question mark over his head, Chloe asked herself. Bruce Wayne was a picture on a newspaper page, a column in Forbes. There was more to him, that much she suspected, but what?

"Clark?" Chloe leaned over and whispered to Clark, who was intently taking notes. He had been absolutely intrigued by Bruce Wayne, doing as much research as Chloe had, and nothing could have stopped him from coming to the lecture.

"Yeah?" He replied, continuing to write. "What is it, Chloe?"

"What do you think of our Boy Wonder here? I mean, he's quite the White Knight, don't you think?" Chloe stopped biting her nail to start biting her lip. "Something doesn't quite add up."

"Chloe." Clark laughed a little, making the two people in front of them turn and shush him. "Not everyone is Lex or Lionel in their business dealings. Why can't Bruce Wayne be one of the good guys?"

"I admire your faith in humanity, Clark." Chloe replied under her breath. "My weird o meter is going off, and I can't figure out why."

"I'm sure it's nothing." Clark whispered back through the corner of his mouth. "I'm sure you'll try to find out during the interview, so just wait."

"I guess…" Chloe demurred, her eyes scanning the crowd. "Wait, Clark. Look." She nodded in the direction of Lex, who was sitting three rows ahead of them, listening intently to Bruce Wayne. "What is HE doing here?"

"Finding out how the competition thinks." Clark frowned, squinting at Lex's laptop screen. Of all Clark's talents, that was the one she'd envied ever since she found out about it – and the x-ray vision, too. They would be invaluable tools for an intrepid reporter. "He's taking notes."

"Well, great minds think alike." Chloe tapped Clark's notepad and smiled.

"Ms. Sullivan? Mr. Kent?" An elderly British man leaned toward them from the empty row behind. "I'm Alfred Pennyworth, Mr. Wayne's assistant. He's asked me to show you to his car, as the speech is winding down."

"Winding down?" Chloe looked up at Alfred dubiously. "How do you know?"  
"Miss, I've worked for Mr. Wayne since he was a small boy – I know when he's nearing the end of one of his speeches better than he does." Alfred smiled. "Please, if you'll follow me, I'll make sure you are ready to go when Mr. Wayne is. It won't do to get bottled up here." He straightened and Chloe gathered her things, tapping Clark on the shoulder to break his concentration. Only he wasn't concentrating on Bruce Wayne anymore. He was copying Lex's notes from the laptop screen.

Bruce Wayne accepted the polite applause from the audience, collecting his notes. The quietly efficient administrative team that had accompanied him was taking care of the presentation materials, so he could make a quick exit and get to the interview with Chloe Sullivan.

"Bruce." Lex Luthor had appeared beside him, all congenial smiles. "It's been a long, long time."  
"Yes, Lex, it has." Bruce shook Lex's hand, and looked his old schoolmate in the eye. The grey eyes had changed since Excelsior, Bruce noted, they were smooth, mirrorlike, reflecting what Lex wanted them to. "Been keeping up with you through the business section."

"Same here." Lex smiled. "Lost an auction to you recently, too."

"Yeah, well, you lost it to the Wayne Foundation, not me personally." Bruce rejoined, and Lex laughed when Bruce added, "I'm not all that sure I understand what they bought, either. I just cut the checks.".

"Of course. Want to go get a drink and catch up? I heard the new River Walk area is really stunning. Dad was pretty upset your construction company got that contract."

"Lex, that would be great, really." Bruce shook his head. "I've got another appointment. Look, when you are in Gotham again, give me a call. " Bruce looked at his watch. "Late already. Excuse me, please." He turned, handing his briefcase to the older man who had just materialized at his side. Bruce Wayne did not have turn around to know that Lex Luthor had pulled out his cell phone and was issuing hasty orders to someone.

"Alfred, get my car and the cargo and bring it around to the other side of the auditorium, would you?" Bruce asked, moving away in the opposite direction of the little green room that had been set aside for him.

"Of course, sir. The cargo is ready, as you requested." Alfred nodded twice, and walked off and out to the limousine.

Clark and Chloe sat in the back of the rented limousine, waiting.

"This is nice, huh?" Clark asked, running his palms on the leather seats.

"Mmmm" Chloe replied, resting her head on Clark's shoulder. "Cozy. I hear people got these for prom."  
"Chloe." Clark laughed, hugging her closer. "Sorry about that."

"Oh, not a big deal. How many girls can say they got possessed on prom night? Wait, scratch that, never mind." Chloe laughed, realizing how her comment sounded.

"Too bad we don't know how much longer…" Clark leaned down to kiss Chloe, when the front window between the seats rolled down.

"Very sorry to have interrupted, but there's been a slight change in plans." The pleasant voice of Alfred Pennyworth informed them. "We're just going to drive around the building to pick up Mr. Wayne. It seems he was a bit, well, waylaid."

"Is he okay?" Clark asked, sitting forward.

"Oh, Mr. Wayne is quite capable of taking care of himself, Mr. Kent. But, I'm sure he'll be quite touched that you were concerned for him."

The window went up between the sections of the car, and Clark rolled down his window. Chloe knew he was scanning the building, trying to see if Bruce Wayne was really okay. He did not stop looking until the car came to a stop, and Bruce Wayne appeared from a emergency exit, looking just as neat and put together as he had on stage.

"Hi." He said, sliding into the car. "Glad you both could make it. Listen, there's a small change in plan, and I hope you don't mind. I'd like to get to the plane, and do the interview in the air."  
"On your plane?" Clark and Chloe said at the same time.

"Yes, I hope it's not a problem. I could fly you home, to Littleton, or Smallburgh…"  
"Smallville." Clark corrected, and Chloe squeezed his hand, amused at his annoyance.

"Of course, sorry." Bruce apologized.

"We could start the interview now, Mr. Wayne. I can't imagine the flight to Smallville will take longer than 15 minutes." Chloe offered, and Bruce nodded.

"Fine. I'll take the long way to Smallville, Ms. Sullivan. I don't want to cheat your readers. But I'd prefer we keep the chat light in the car."  
"Rented." Clark gestured, and Bruce Wayne looked at him intently.

"Yes." Bruce acknowledged Clark's insight with a small nod. "The plane is clean, no bugs. "

Bruce and Clark stared each at each other, and Chloe felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. There was something in the air she could not define. Doing the only thing she could think of, she pulled out her recorder and hit the record button.

"So, Bruce Wayne, why Metropolis?" She smiled charmingly, and the sound of her voice broke the tension between Clark and Bruce. The billionaire sat back in his seat, and Clark looked out the window, his hand heavy and warm on her own. I'm glad Clark here, Chloe thought, as Bruce Wayne began the prepared PR about Metropolis being an important Mississippi River city, blah, blah. I don't think I could have gotten through this interview without Clark here. There was something magnetic about Bruce Wayne, and Chloe, even in love with the man beside her had no choice but to admit it.

Dinner had been arranged in the plane, and Clark was glad, because he was starving. The small talk in the limo had set his mind at ease about the subject of Chloe's interview. She was absolutely in her element, charming, intuitive, and sassy. Bruce Wayne was certainly enchanted, but Clark realized he wasn't giving up much information. He knew how NOT to answer questions, and that was something Clark was familiar with.

"So, how does your pilot feel about flying tonight? Isn't he losing time on "Brotherhood of the Blade"?" Chloe asked, and Clark nearly choked on his salad.

Bruce Wayne laughed out loud, a real and hearty laugh, nothing like the soft mocking one Clark had heard on Saturday. "No. We have an Xbox over there – he's been playing some Stars Wars game. – Knights of the Old Republic, I think. He's nearly done, but tonight, I needed him to fly. Don't worry, he'll get to the next level on the way back to Gotham City tonight."

"So, why the secrecy?" Clark asked, setting his fork down.

"You mean, why did I choose to do the interview in my plane, flying around the Midwest with two college students, instead of a public place?" The billionaire answered with a question. "Because there are people in Metropolis that would prefer I stay OUT of Metropolis. They will bug my cars, hire spies, and pretty much do what they can to undermine any efforts Wayne Industries tries to make. So, while I am glad to do this interview for the Daily Planet, a paper owned by my fiercest business rivals, I will have the interview in a safe place. Paranoid, maybe, but you can never be too careful."

"Well." Chloe cleared her throat. "If you two are done playing dominant alpha males, I have a job to do, and a deadline." She poked Clark in the ribs with her elbow and smiled winningly at Bruce Wayne. It was going to be a long, long night.

The plane touched down at Smallvilles tiny airport. With a minimum of ceremony,

Bruce Wayne organized the refueling of his jet, and offered Clark a tour of the plane's cockpit while Chloe freshened up.

The pilot and co-pilot murmured polite greetings to their employer as they ducked out of the cockpit door and made their way into the airport terminal for a quick break.

"Clark, listen" Bruce began, his tone immediately different from the one he had used during the whole dinner interview with Chloe. "I am trustee for Dr. Virgil Swann's estate."

"You knew Dr. Swann?" Clark felt the bottom of his full stomach drop. He'd never been nauseated in his life, but the idea of Bruce Wayne knowing his secret made his blood cold.

"A mutual admiration society – I co-funded several of his larger projects, and he gave the Wayne Planetarium his complete library of research. I had to battle the Luthors for it, though." Bruce Wayne handed Clark a disc. "I haven't had a chance to get through all of it yet, but I've found a great lot of research devoted to some place called Krypton, and someone named Kal-El." He dropped his voice even lower, almost a cautious growl.

"I don't know what you've told your girlfriend, Clark, but I wanted to get this information to you, because I believe Dr. Swann wanted you to have anything related to Krypton. "

"What gave you that idea, Mr. Wayne?" Clark asked, swallowing. Though not much older than Clark, Bruce Wayne was intimidating.

"Well, let's just say, I'm glad I got this stuff before the Luthors did." Wayne clapped Clark on the shoulder. "I know I'm trustworthy, but they aren't." The billionaire's dark eyes bore into Clark's, "And I think you probably already know that."

"I've had reason to suspect they weren't completely honest, yes." Clark replied, and Bruce Wayne nodded.

"It's been my sad experience, Clark that you can't trust just about anybody. And those you do trust," Chloe had come out from the master suite area "Are too valuable to lose. I'd trust her, too, by the way." Bruce turned back to Clark, and handed him his business card. "You can contact me anytime. Alfred will always know where to find me."

"Thanks." Clark looked at the card. "What makes you think I'll need to contact you?"

Bruce Wayne winked. "I can find you whenever I need to, Clark. I think someday, you and I might want to talk again. If I'm right, you and I have a great deal in common, similar interests, and similar goals. Besides, if I come across any more of Dr. Swann's research that applies to you, I want to be able to send it along." Bruce shook Clark's hand, and walked toward Chloe.

"Chloe, it's been an honor, truly." He told her smoothly, and Clark could see her blush. "You will always be my press contact in Metropolis, unless you decide to move to Gotham City. The Gotham Times is one of the pre-eminent newspapers in the world. I think we could give The Daily Planet some competition."

"Thank you, Mr. Wayne, really." Chloe's face lit up. "I've got my hands full with just this article for the moment, and, well, I have plenty of reasons to stay in Metropolis." She looked at Clark over the billionaire's shoulder. Bruce turned and nodded, acknowledging Clark's claim on her once and for all.

Clark felt his heart fill with pride. Chloe was on her way up and he got to be there with her for her first big break. He felt the disc in his hand, and looked at the business card again. Dr. Swann's research and now another billionaire interested in his secret. Clark pocketed the disc and card as Chloe came to him and took his hand.

"Well, kids, this has been fun." Bruce Wayne said, walking them to the waiting limousine. "This driver is under strict instructions to take you both back to Clark's house. Chloe, I'm sure Clark can drive you back to the city tomorrow."

"I think I can handle that." Clark smiled, shaking Bruce's hand. "It's been quite an evening."

"It has." Bruce Wayne agreed. "A unique experience, by all means. Take care of yourselves." He turned and walked back to the jet, waving once as he entered the cockpit.

"I can't believe this evening!" Chloe did a little dance and hugged her laptop. "Clark! Do you realize what just happened? We just had dinner with one of the most influential men in America. He's more powerful than Lex…."

"But is he faster than a locomotive?" Clark asked, pulling her close. "Can he leap tall buildings in a single bound?" He planted a kiss on her forehead. God, I've been waiting to do this all night, he thought, smelling her hair and the soft perfume she wore. Chloe always smelled like ginger snap cookies to Clark, gingersnaps or honeysuckle.

"Hmm. I don't know." Chloe laughed. "He sure isn't a plane, but he can fly one. " They turned to watch the sleek jet make its way down the runway. Bruce Waynes jet took off, a silver blur in the evening sky. Clark opened the limousine door and Chloe got in.

"Say, it's still early. Want to go to the Talon for some dessert and coffee? I'm going to need fuel if I'm getting this article done for the Sunday edition." She asked.

"I was thinking of a movie at home." Clark replied, getting into the limousine. "You pick it, Mom has ice cream in the freezer."

"What an offer. How can I refuse? I pick the movie – well, then…it's gotta be "Gaslight" again." Chloe laughed when Clark groaned, as the limousine door closed. "Um, Clark?"  
"Chloe?" He looked at her, a small grin on his face. "Change your mind about the movie? Can we watch something from this century? Something in color?"

"Remember what I said about people being possessed on prom night?"

"Uh-huh." He liked the gleam in her eye, it always meant Chloe was up to something that ended with him being very soundly kissed.

"Come on over here, you star quarterback, you, and tell me about the game winning pass you made last year." Chloe put her laptop down, and Clark grinned wider still, moving into the seat next to her, and wrapping her in his arms. This was going to be fun.

The ride from the airport to the Kent farm was relatively short, even with a quick stop at the Talon for coffee; Clark and Chloe were cozily ensconced in the Kent family living room by ten o'clock. Ingrid Bergman was on, being driven slowly crazy by her psychopathic husband, Clark had devoured a massive bowl of peanut butter chocolate ice cream and Chloe sat on the floor, with her laptop on the coffee table, working on her story.

"Hey, Clark." Chloe turned and smiled in spite of herself. "Gaslight" was one of Chloe's favorite movies but Clark seemed to get very involved in it, too.

"Yeah, Chloe?" He did not look away from the television.

"Am I the only one that thought it was odd that Lex was there today at the lecture?" Chloe pulled herself up off the floor and onto the couch next to Clark. "I saw you spying on him."

"Yeah, now that you mention it." Clark jumped up from the couch to retrieve his notepad. "I didn't like the change in plans at the last minute for the interview, either." He returned after a moment with his pad, and a CD. He handed her the note pad, and sat down. "It's mostly days and times, not a whole lot that actually corresponded to the lecture." Clark said, thinking back.

"I guess he could have been going over his calendar during the lecture, but why? " Chloe looked over the page of dates. "Didn't you say Lex was in Edge City last weekend, something about Lucas in trouble?

"That's what Lana told me." Clark sat forward. "Why?"

"Because at 2:45 p.m., on Saturday, Bruce Wayne was talking to you at the River Walk Amphitheater. If this is Lex's calendar…." Chloe's eyes widened. "Why are Bruce Wayne's comings and goings on here?"

"They did go to school together. Maybe they try to catch up when they are in the same town?" Clark asked, not liking the direction this information was leading them toward.

"But they weren't friends. I looked into their school years, to see if I should contact Lex for some back story, you know, for color." Chloe said, and then rolled her eyes at Clark's blank stare. "It's a good thing you're not majoring in journalism, Clark." She hit him with a small throw pillow, and then continued. "Anyway, what Lex told you about Bruce Wayne was true, he was popular, but kind of exclusive. He didn't socialize much, but everyone wanted to know him."

"Like now." Clark added, taking the pillow from Chloe and giving her a soft bop on the head with it. She grinned at him snarkily, taking the pillow and tossing it across the room without breaking eye contact with Clark.

"Right, but here's the thing. Lex was the total opposite. He was surrounded by people all the time, but never really fit in. They didn't run in the same circles. Not one extra curricular, not one school trip – and Excelsior has a tradition of taking it's students on several jaunts a year, even to Europe for the seniors – not one thing in common. It's like they went to two completely different schools."

"Well, there goes that theory. Not old buddies. And Bruce told me on the plane that he found the Luthors to be less than trustworthy. " Clark nodded. "So that might rule them out as business contacts."

"Right, they're more like business rivals. Wayne Industries prides itself on its

commitment to quality – and I don't just mean the kind that wins them consumer confidence polls. High employee retention, above industry standard retirement plans – there is a waiting list three years long to get an interview at Wayne Industries on the executive level. " Chloe tipped her head to the side and smirked at Clark. "Maybe I should have taken Bruce up on that job offer at the Gotham Times…"

"I thought the Daily Planet was the pinnacle of success for you." Clark laughed, giving her a quick kiss on the nose.

"I'll take that as a front page by line, thank you." Chloe quipped, "Seriously, Clark, Luthorcorp and Wayne Industries just don't play nicely together. As far as the change in plans, well, maybe Bruce just got jumpy being in the oppositions playing field."

"Could be." Clark shrugged. "We don't really don't have much more info to go on, either. But, what about this." Clark held up the CD-ROM "Bruce Wayne gave me this. It's more of Dr. Swann's research into Krypton. Apparently there are pretty direct mentions of me here. But Bruce also said that he had to fight the Luthors to get it. Lex said he'd stopped trying to investigate me, and Lionel…"

"We're still not clear on how much Lionel remembers after you guys did your body swapping last year, are we?" Chloe cocked her head to the side again, working things out. "Knowing that Lex lies professionally, and that Lionel practically invented the skill, I can see why they'd want the research" Chloe took the disc and put it into her computer drive. She quickly scanned the files, and looked over at Clark, with a worried expression. "Do you think Bruce knows your secret, Clark?"

"If he doesn't know it today, it won't be all that long before he does. Bruce Wayne doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who likes unanswered questions." Clark sighed, leaning back on the couch. "What's on the disc?"

"Clark, this is amazing." Chloe opened the files on the disc, and began reading. "According to this disc menu, there are star maps, a theoretical environment for Krypton before it blew up, and a, whoa, Clark." She raised a hand and pulled Clark closer. "This is a key to translate the symbols in the caves!"

"I don't really need that anymore." Clark said simply, and Chloe nodded, a smile on her face.

"Well, as usual, you continue to surprise me, Clark. When did you pick up that talent? I KNOW they aren't teaching Kryptonian at Central Kansas A & M as a language option."

"It's a long story." Clark replied, "But what in here led Bruce to the conclusion that it had anything to do with me?"

"How about this?" Chloe opened a file, and a photo of Clark appeared on the screen. "It looks like a full biography, including some of the wall of weird articles I'd published way back when, as well as an e-mail log. Well, this would be enough to at least connect you with Dr. Swann, Clark." Chloe shuddered and closed her laptop. She turned and looked at the young man she had loved since the first day she'd ever seen him. "We don't know what else he has, either."

With the time difference, Bruce Wayne found himself back in Gotham City by midnight. He dropped his briefcase in the foyer and walked down the long corridor, his footsteps echoing in the empty hall. He could hear Alfred's television playing in the suite of rooms the older man occupied. Seinfeld, again. Bruce never seemed to get the humor of that show, mostly sticking to more serious television programming, but to each his own. Entering the kitchen, Bruce got himself a cold glass of milk and a very large piece of the cooks best almond pound cake and sat down to think.

The interview had gone well, probably better than Bruce expected, given that Chloe Sullivan was a freshman in college. It would certainly boost her reputation at the Daily Planet - that much was certain. It didn't take anyone of Bruce's particular talents to also recognize that she was in love with Clark Kent. It was Clark Kent that continued to be the big mystery. The younger man had been as easy as a brick wall to read, and was as cautious as a highly trained Rottweiller, all rolled up in an 'aw shucks" farmboy pose. The CD-ROM Bruce had passed along to the farmer was only a teaser, and until Bruce knew exactly why the Luthors were so interested in Clark Kent, when they were practically the kid's neighbors, he intended to keep as tight an eye as he could on the situation.

His cell phone rang, and the number was strange. Bruce never gave this number to anyone he didn't want to reach him. Intrigued, he answered, rather than simply let it go to voice mail.

"Bruce Wayne." He kept his tone clipped and business like.

"Bruce!" Lex Luthor said, music blaring behind him. "I'm in Gotham City – benefit concert for the rainforest. I heard you were on the guest list."

Bruce sighed. He and Lex had not even been on speaking terms at Excelsior; Lex had been an awkward, yet arrogant social outcast, and Bruce reclusive, quiet. They had both competed for top grades – both graduating at the top of their class. But while Bruce had gone out for some sports, Lex had chosen to participate in the school government, and more notoriously, running a black market operation that had been a raging success, supplying the other students with off-limits goods. These sudden friendly overtures were unwelcome, to say the least.

"I contributed, but no, I'm not into it, Lex. I'd ask you how you got my number, but I'm pretty sure I know." Bruce knew that there was more than one pretty brunette debutante that Lex could have chatted up for Bruce's number, and Lex laughed.

"I'm not going to say, I want to protect the informant. I'm here with my girlfriend, and I thought I could convince you to come to the party; you know, let bygones be bygones and start over."

"Like I said, really not into the whole party thing tonight. See you around, Lex, next time you're in town, call my office. We'll get together for lunch." Bruce hung up, and shut his cell phone off. Reminder to self, Bruce thought, change that number immediately.


	4. Truth & Testimony

Monday. Clark dragged his feet through his classes, more than a little worn out. Chloe's article hit the newstands on Sunday, and the day had gone by in a blur. Gabe had insisted on taking Chloe, Clark, Lois and Clark's mom out to dinner to celebrate. The restaurant was a small, family run place, just outside of Smallville, and the owner proudly asked Chloe to sign her article, and took a picture of the whole group to frame with it. Chloe was radiant, her excitement a more powerful cosmetic than any other Man had ever created. Clark could not resist her. Gabe and Mom were very happy at the developments, and Lois, well, she took the news in her own, individual style.

With a roll of her eyes, and a sarcastic laugh, she summed it all up in one eloquent sentence. "Well, cuz, I'm just glad it's not me he's moon facing over, because, _eew_."

And, after that, even Lois was pleasant to be with, and Clark wasn't sure if it was because everyone was happy for Chloe, or that he was just so proud and glad to have her that he felt that way on his own. All in all, a great night. Which left Clark in sort of a hung over mood. He'd never actually been hung over, since alcohol had no effect on him, but all the same, he just couldn't focus on anything at all, and had to fight the urge to ditch school entirely and go up to Metropolis and see Chloe.

So, when his phone rang, Clark had no hesitation at all about answering it with,

"Hey, gorgeous, win your Pulitzer yet?"

"Clark," Lana's voice was a hoarse whisper. "I need to talk to you. It's important."

"Lana? Are you okay?" Clark was surprised to hear from her, and was relieved when she breathed her reply.

"Yes, yes. I'm going to be at the Talon. See you there later, okay?"

"Sure, Lana." Clark hung up, and frowned at the phone for a minute before dialing Chloe.

"Chloe Sullivan." Chloe sing-songed into her phone. The article had created a lot of buzz, enough to get her off obits and lost pets and into a desk on the second floor, under the reproduction Tiffany lamps. Pauline Kahn had informed Chloe of the change in location when she came in after her first class, via a terse e-mail.

"Hey, Chloe." Clark smiled into the phone, and Chloe could hear it. She loved his voice and how she could visualize his face as she listened to him. "Lana just called me." He sounded puzzled.

"What did she want?" Chloe asked, a little nervous that things were going to change again.

"She said she wants to talk to me about something. Chloe, she said she's fine, but she sounded weird, like she was sneaking in the call while Lex wasn't around."

"Well, that's possible. I'm sure Lex wouldn't like her calling you just to say hi behind his back." Chloes reasonable explanation seemed to soothe Clark a little.

"Anyway, Lana asked me to meet her at the Talon later. I'm going to head over there after my last class and just see what's up. Meet you for pizza after you get off work?"

"Definitely. And, Clark, use the elevator." Chloe grinned, and she could hear how happy he was for her.

"Seriously? Where are you, on the 70th floor, with all the big time reporters, under the fancy stained glass lamps?"

"Ha. Let's just say the lamps are fancy but a whole lot cheaper, and my view is of the building next door. But, the second floor windows do let in more light and it is a sign of an upwardly mobile career." She explained, self-depreciating, but Clark wouldn't have it.

"Chloe, I could not be prouder of you. You'll get to the 70th floor, don't worry. I gotta get to class, so I'll see you later."

"See you later, Clark." Chloe hung up the phone and looked around. Yes, it's definitely a step in the right direction.

"Did you see this?" Lionel dropped the Daily Planet on Lex's desk with a furious growl. The employees in the executive offices of Luthorcorp had been lying low today, and now Lex knew why. He turned the paper around and studied the article with mock interest.

"It's a good article." Lex replied smoothly, looking at the front page picture of Bruce Wayne. "It's a stock photo, but Chloe did a thorough job with the interview. Bruce _was_ always a hard guy to get to know."

"And just how did Chloe Sullivan, college freshman and Daily Planet nobody get to Bruce Wayne when Lex Luthor, fellow Excelsior alumnus couldn't even get a handshake?" Lionel WAS mad, and Lex smirked, leaning back in his chair. He loved his father angry. It took him off balance, made it easier to get information from him.

"What's the matter, Dad? Your spy network falling down on the job?"

"Lex, I don't think I need to tell you the problems having Bruce Wayne in Metropolis will cause us." Lionel ran his hands theatrically through his long hair. "That River Walk development deal will net him millions by the time it's all finished. And their pharmacuetical division is ahead of ours with drugs that treat cancer and AIDS."

"Is that all you're worried about, Dad. We've netted the last five government contracts we've bid, and that was over Wayne Industries. There's plenty of room in Metropolis for Bruce Wayne. Who is that other guy, the one developing the condos on the North side of town?" Lex frowned, thinking. "Oliver Queen."

Lionel waved a hand, dismissing the other tycoon. "Queen is not a threat. He's small time compared to Bruce Wayne. And then, how he won the Swann papers in that auction, Lex."

"The Swann papers? I didn't realize you were bidding on them too, Dad." Lex stood, and walked to the large plate glass window that constituted the primary wall of his office. "And here I thought that I was the only one still interested in them."

Lionel did not miss a beat. He rubbed his beard, and eyed Lex with a cagey smile.

"Well, I had no idea you were bidding on them, Lex." His smile grew wider, and Lex could see something in the situation amused his father greatly.

"Yes, you did." Lex looked out the window mildly. "I told you I wanted them for the Luthor Astrophysics division."

"Come on, Lex. The Astrophysics division has no use for Virgil Swann's research about red stars." Lionel folded his arms, laughing. "It's a good cover story for why you really want them, so I'll play along."

Lex counted to ten before he made eye contact with his father. "And what did you want with information on red stars, Dad?"

"I wanted it as a donation to the Metropolis Science Museum. Bruce Wayne isn't the only one interested in preserving Dr. Swann's work. I admired the man tremendously."

Lionel shrugged. "Oh well. I guess this victory goes to Bruce Wayne. But this," Lionel leaned forward and pointed at the newspaper. "Chloe Sullivan scooping this interview is unacceptable."

"Lana said Chloe'd run into Bruce Wayne a couple of weeks ago at the River Walk festival." Lex felt the edit, substituting Chloe's name for Clark. If his father was interested in the research, Lex wanted to be sure he figured out Clark's secret first. It was the least that could happen. Plus, Lionel already hated Chloe Sullivan, given their past history, so no new damage would be done. Lex watched his fathers face change from rage to a controlled, composed expression that always boded no good.

"Chloe ran into Bruce Wayne, two weeks ago." Lionel nodded. "And her interview is published today, and all is right with the world." He stopped, seeming to calculate some plan, and then shook his head. "Well, let the chips fall where they may. Enjoy the paper, Lex." The older man started to walk out the door, and Lex decided to drop the bomb on him as a parting coup de grace.

"Hey, Dad." Lionel turned around, and Lex walked around his desk to lean on the front.

"If you are thinking about pulling strings to get Chloe Sullivan fired, forget it."

"What?" Lionel took two steps toward Lex and stopped. "I'd like to know why, Son."

"Because I personally own the Daily Planet, so the strings end here. Because with everything Chloe Sullivan knows about our family, Luthorcorp, and the frequent weirdness that goes on in and around Smallville, I think the best place for her is at the Daily Planet, where I can keep a watchful eye on her." Lex fixed his father with a triumphant smile. "Moving up is strictly her prerogative. I'll just make sure the signature on the paychecks is the CFO's and not mine. Oh, and Dad?"

Lionel did not bother this time to hide his impatience, and Lex reveled in his father's discomfort. "Leave Bruce Wayne to me."

Lionel turned on his heel and strode from Lex's office. Lex watched his father leave, waiting until the door swung shut behind him. He picked up the phone, and waited until his assistant answered.

"Get me Bruce Wayne. Call his office, but get me through. I want to congratulate him on his interview. Oh, and send a bunch of sunflowers to Ms Chloe Sullivan at the Daily Planet. The note should read "Just remember who knew you when, Lex." And have the florist send as many irises they can get to Lana Lang. The address is my guesthouse. The card should read, "To me they are olive branches. Forgive me. Lex." Yes, I think that's it for now, and don't forget about getting Bruce Wayne on the phone."

He hung up and looked out the window again, to the spinning golden globe perched atop the Daily Planet Building and stood there, looking for a long time.

Clark got to the Talon just after two, and as soon as he walked in, he could see Lana.

She looked different, more tailored and grown up, and was very involved in the book she was reading. He made his way toward Lana, and sat down at the table across from her

Lana looked up, and she smiled, holding up her book. "Required reading for my Literature class."

"Hey, Lana." Clark set his backpack down and brushed Lana's cheek with a friendly kiss. "What did you want to see me about?

"I saw the Chloe's article, the interview with Bruce Wayne." Lana began, setting her book down and folding her hands on it. "It was good."

"Why don't you call her and tell her, Lana? Chloe'll be glad to hear from you." Clark asked, studying Lana's face. "But Chloe's article is not why you are here, is it?"

"No." Lana waved the waitress over. "I'll have another chai tea, please, and Clark?"

"I'll have a large hot chocolate, and a piece of whatever pie you have today."

The waitress nodded and headed back to the kitchen. "Lana?"

"Clark, it's Lex." She said, shaking her head. "I can't believe I'm doing this. After everything, I'm still worried about you." She smiled briefly and sighed. "I probably shouldn't have come, but everything that I've seen is finally starting to fall into place, and I couldn't have NOT warned you." Shame and worry took up equal space on her lovely face.

"What's wrong, Lana?" Clark leaned forward, and Lana covered her face with her hands.

"Lex has a room, Clark. A room filled with these things – articles and pictures, the crushed car he was driving the day he thought he hit you. It's a room all about you, Clark." Her voice was muffled, but Clark could see how tortured Lana was over this.

"I thought he got rid of it." Clark gasped, amazed. "He swore…."

"It's all some sick idea he has, about you." Lana continued urgently. "I'm worried about him, too. It's like he's losing his grip on reality again. I mean it, Clark. I'm afraid of the damage he can do. Clark," Lana reached out and put her hand on his. "Lex thinks he knows your secret. He thinks you are an alien. All he's doing now is gathering enough proof."

Clark was dumbfounded. "What?"

"I've been going over it in my head, and I can see how you might be a meteor freak, like Tina and the others. That makes sense, but an alien I just can't see. You're nothing like those monsters that landed here this fall, nothing." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I can't believe that's even possible."

"Did you tell him that, Lana?" Clark asked, but he already knew the answer. Lex would not be dissuaded by Lana's opinion, no matter how strong his feelings were for her.

"I did." Lana's eyes filled with tears. "It was like he became another person. We fought all night. I told him I watched you die, and that maybe being a meteor freak helped you come back to life. " Lana leaned forward. "You need to be careful. He was very upset that someone named Bruce Wayne beat him at some auction, and now this. I don't think I could stand it if anything happened to you, or Chloe." She stood, picking up her book. "I'm going to get my tea to go."

"Lana, you can't go back there. If Lex finds out you spoke to me…"Clark put his hand on her arm. She smiled at him, more serenely than he'd ever seen her smile, and in spite of the stress she'd been under, Clark had never seen her more beautiful.

"He won't. And if he does, it doesn't matter. He knows I love him. And he loves me. That should be enough to keep me safe. Just you be careful." She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Give Chloe my love, Clark. Tell her I miss her." Lana walked quickly to the back office area of the Talon, and Clark looked down at the table for a moment. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together. Lex was definitely on his trail now, and Lana, in her way, had tried to protect Clark by offering up the meteor freak explanation. But Lex was smarter than that, more willing to really look at the possibilities and potentials of having his own personal alien to control. Not for the first time, Clark remembered Lex's face when they had discussed Naman and Sageeth in the loft. Lex had been fascinated with the idea of Sageeth as an anti-hero, a being whose purpose was to keep the mighty Naman in check. The Kiwatchee people and Clark shared a different interpretation of that legend, but Lex had never really given up on the idea. The second meteor shower, the two disciples of Zod and Dr. Fine had only reinforced Lex's commitment to his cause.

"Now what?" Clark said aloud hopelessly, looking around the room. Not finding answers in the Egyptian décor, or the unknowing faces of the people around him, Clark reached into his wallet, dropped money on the table and left, leaving his pie and hot chocolate untouched. It was time to call Bruce Wayne.

The bouquet of sunflowers took up the lion's share of space on Chloe's desk. Once she had read the card, Chloe had to battle a fierce urge to drop the whole thing out the window, but the second floor would not have caused the kind of damage to the innocent flowers as she would have liked. That was Lex, though, playing both sides against the middle in a game that only he knew the rules to. Chloe had finished getting settled at her new desk, collected her pager and updated press pass from the division editor. Now loading her gift from General Sam Lane and Lois, that had been accompanied by a quick note from the General himself, one of those all in one phone/pda things – with all the data she could from her old cell phone and laptop.

"Hi, Chloe." She looked up, hearing Lex and his purred greeting. "Did you have lunch already?"  
"Yes, with my Uncle Sam and Lois about ten minutes ago. What's up, Lex?" Chloe asked. She had always been able to play Lex's games, keep a poker face and not let him know he had gotten under her skin.

"Just wanted to stop by and see how you liked your new surroundings, and to check if my flowers came." Lex touched the petals of the sunflowers gently. "Lana told me you liked sunflowers."

"It was very nice of you." Chloe did not look at the flowers. "Thank you, Lex."

"So, I've been trying to get in touch with Bruce Wayne since your article came out, and no luck." Lex said neutrally. "But, I'm sure you have your methods."

"Actually, Lex, he found me." Chloe replied, folding her arms across her chest. "So no, other than calling his office, I don't have any secret way of getting to Bruce Wayne."

"Too bad. I was hoping to get a bunch of Excelsior alumni together for a mini reunion out at the mansion." Lex seemed to be waiting for something. He leaned over and picked up Chloe's new smartphone. "The General has good taste. Now I can see why my humble offering has fallen short." Setting the new phone back on the desk, he laughed and walked away, the words "Good luck, Chloe" drifting on the air behind him.

"Arrgh." Chloe groaned, dropping her hand to the desk. She felt paper under her hand, and picked it up. The card from Uncle Sam's gift. Chloe hadn't read it at lunch because her uncle had insisted she read it later. Being a military man, General Lane was unable to show his emotions, and unwilling to deal with emotional outbursts from others. Chloe opened it and read it, needing to be grounded after her Luthor encounter.

"This should keep you on track, baby doll. " the note read, and Chloe grinned. Her uncle's handwriting was heavy, blocky and authoritative, like the man himself. "Just don't go looking for any inside info from your Uncle Sam. I can tell you that your mom would be awful proud of you, baby doll. She really would. You're a lot like her, in all the ways she was great." Chloe wiped her eyes quickly, hoping no one around her noticed. "Couldn't be prouder of you if you were mine. Love, Uncle Sam." Chloe sighed, and her eye caught a post script, in Lois' loopy handwriting. "Just don't go text messaging Smallville with it all the time...i heart you is really just gross. L"

Chloe laughed. Lois's sense of humor was always enough to make a bad situation seem less bleak. Feeling a little better, Chloe sat back down to finish getting herself acclimated to the new space.

"Mr. Wayne?" Bruce looked up from his desk. His assistant stood in the doorway, a puzzled expression on her face.

"What is it, Rita?" He hated interruptions, but he felt badly for Rita. She put up with a lot in the line of duty, and today's barrage of calls after the Daily Planet interview hit the stands had been stressful to say the least.

"A Clark Kent is calling, sir. I don't remember seeing him on your list to put right through, but it sounds urgent."

"Put it through on the secure line." Bruce replied quickly, "And close the door."

"Yes, Mr. Wayne." Rita pulled the door closed. Two seconds later, the secure phone rang.

"Clark? Everything okay?" Bruce spoke without preamble or pretense at courtesy. If Clark was calling already, it had to be serious.

"I think we need to talk, Bruce." Clark Kent's voice was somber. "About Dr. Swann's research, and how it applies to me." Clark felt his resolve waiver. How do I know I can trust him? Clark's thoughts raced through his brain, fear making him cold as stone.

"Clark, if there is something in Dr. Swann's research that puts you in jeopardy, I want to know. But doing this on the phone is not smart. I can have a helicopter there for you in an hour. Is Chloe okay?"

Clark smiled in spite of himself. "No, there's no immediate danger and Chloe is fine. But I think I'm going to need more back up on this than Chloe and my Mom. There are things about me that people have been trying to find out for a long time. Somehow, I think you can relate to that." Clark heard Bruce Wayne's sharp intake of breath, and then the billionaire laughed. It was going to be alright, Clark thought, relieved. The instinct to trust Bruce Wayne with this was a good one.

"You got that right, kid. I know all about that. Get to Chloe, and I'll send the helicopter for you in Metropolis." Bruce looked at his watch. "Better still, get to the Metropolis Municipal Airstrip. Do you know where that is?"

Clark thought a moment. "That's on the North Side of town, right?"

"Yes. It will take me two hours to fly to Metropolis myself. Get to the airstrip with Chloe and wait for me. I'm on my way." Bruce hung up the phone and hit the intercom.

"Yes, Mr. Wayne?" Rita answered, as usual, immediately

"Call the airfield and have my new plane prepped for a trip."

"Mr. Wayne? The new plane isn't ready, sir. The test pilot said…"

"I know what the test pilot said, Rita. Just get it ready." Bruce hung up the intercom and got up. Time to take the new bird for a spin. If the specs were right, and Wayne Aeronautics had done their job, she should make Metropolis in an hour.

Clark arrived at the Daily Planet in about ten seconds after he ended his call with Bruce Wayne. He found Chloe at her desk, working on an article she'd been assigned by the floor editor. She was frowning at the monitor, and Clark grinned just watching her.

She looked up, spotted him and waved happily.

"Hey, you're early!" She said, standing on tiptoe to kiss him. "I'm starving."

"Chloe, listen." Clark put his hands on her shoulders. "We need to get to Metropolis Municipal Airfield. Bruce Wayne is coming to meet us."

"Why?" Chloe's eyes were filled with questions. "What's going on, Clark? Is everything okay?"

"Let's get out of here." Clark said simply. "I'll tell you everything when we are out of here."

"Okay, Clark." Chloe did not question him further. She gathered her things, handed Clark her laptop and slid her hand into his. "Lead on, Kent."

"Bruce, Bruce!" Lucius Fox ran to catch up with Bruce Wayne. "Slow down, Bruce. I'm an old man!"

Bruce turned, grinning. "The last time I called you 'old man', you changed the command codes in the Tumbler and I had to hot wire the thing to get it going."

"Rita told me you want to take the stealth jet out. You _know_ it's not really ready for use. I can't guarantee all the systems will be completely functional." The new C.E.O. of Wayne Industries took a deep breath in. "Are you sure you want to take it out?"

"Lucius, it will be fine. Just a short trip to," Bruce began, and his friend raised his hands.

"Remember, I'd rather not know what's up. Just be careful, and remember your fuel reserves are limited. There are three charged canisters of fuel in the storage hold, but they are really only for emergencies." The older black man instructed, "Everything else is touch and voice command, and I've already contacted the test pilot and told him to be ready to go with you." The elevator chime bonged gently, and Bruce Wayne raised an eyebrow as he thought over this last bit of information. The elevator doors opened, and Bruce got in.

"Call him back, Lucius. I won't need the pilot. I'm going solo." The elevator doors closed before Lucius could argue the point any further.

Clark and Chloe made it to the municipal airstrip in plenty of time. Clark had filled Chloe in on the details, meeting Lana at the Talon, talking to Bruce Wayne and the decision to tell Bruce Wayne about his secret. Now, they were standing behind the fence, watching the private jets take off and land while they waited for Bruce to arrive.

"Clark, have you lost your mind?" Chloe was aghast. "How do you know that you can trust Bruce Wayne with this secret? I mean, you've known Lex forever, and you could have told him at any time, and you realized you couldn't. You know Bruce Wayne what, all of five minutes, and you're okay with him knowing?"

"First of all, Chloe, Dr. Swann was willing to trust him with the data. He had to know Bruce Wayne wasn't going to drop it all off in some warehouse forever. Second, if one billionaire will stop at nothing to get at my secret, one knowing my secret can be a powerful ally, and third, Chloe, I'm all out of ideas. This is big – and I think that Bruce Wayne can help me." Clark pulled Chloe close. "And the one thing we learned about Bruce is that he's a good man with other people's secrets."

"I don't know, Clark." Chloe shook her head, and then rested it against Clark's chest.

"I'm not feeling very good about this." Suddenly, Chloe looked out toward the end of the runway, and gasped. "Clark, what the heck is that?"

A black boomerang shape cut through the eastern sky, slicing the impending dusk almost silently. There was no engine whine, no rumble of the landing gear as they extended. The wheels of the jet screeched on the tarmac, the air brakes and flaps marred the smooth lines of the wings. The matte black jet came to a halt, and the hatch opened with a hiss. Bruce Wayne, flight suited and looking quite pleased emerged. He looked around, and spotting Clark and Chloe, waved.

"Come on, Chloe." Clark kissed Chloe on the head, and led her toward the plane.

"You don't think I'm getting in that thing, do you?" Chloe asked, her apprehension a near physical presence between them. Clark ignored her fear and gently pulled her along behind him.

Bruce Wayne reappeared at the hatch. "The brave and intrepid reporter, Chloe Sullivan afraid of a little experimental jet? My, my." He was almost jovial, and his gentle mocking tone did for Chloe what no amount of encouragement from Clark could have. Chloe swallowed, and climbed the short stairs into the jet. Clark, amused at Chloe's response to Bruce Wayne's unspoken dare, laughed out loud, in spite of himself.

"You can't keep a Sullivan girl down." Clark said, putting his arm around Chloe. But the inside of the jet was all Clark could see. His curiosity was nearly overwhelming – Clark wanted to check every control, examine every screen. But he kept his arm around Chloe, who seemed to be experiencing the same sense of awe.

"Good." Bruce Wayne nodded, his face solemn again. "You're going to need to be tough, Chloe."

"I'm okay, really." Chloe said, looking around the cabin. Except it wasn't a cabin, not like the comfortable, luxurious cabin of Bruce's private jet. No one was playing Star Wars video games here. There were no windows, and there were all kinds of panels and controls, lights and buttons the whole length of the cabin, one end contained the command center, complete with four seats that looked like they'd been lifted from a space shuttle. The other end had a wall, with two doors.

"Yeah, I know." Bruce looked around himself proudly. "The back two areas are storage on the left, and a small crew area, with a small kitchen and rest room on the right. We put something less complicated together for the military, but this is built to spec."

"If it has a transporter pad, I'm so out of here." Chloe laughed, hiding her nervousness, and Bruce laughed with her.

"I don't know, Clark, should I show her the teleporter, or wait until Mr. Spock is done setting the coordinates for the Gamma Quadrant?"

Clark had been looking around in awe. "This thing can break the sound barrier, can't it?"

"It could, but then that defeats the purpose. I designed it for low and fast – keeping out of any radar at all. The hull is completely soundproof, and nothing, I mean nothing gets out of here. " Bruce pulled the hatch shut. "If anyone placed unauthorized surveillance equipment on this, they wouldn't get anything back but static." He moved into the pilot's seat and put on his 5 point restraint harness. "You two better get locked in. We've got some serious flying to do.'

They had been in the air about twenty minutes before Bruce engaged the auto-pilot and turned to Clark. No one had spoken a word the whole time, and Clark was pretty sure that Chloe's grip had cut off circulation in his hand.

"Okay, now that we are up, I have a few things I'd like to get said." Bruce pivoted his chair and accessed the computer screen on his right. Clark and Chloe could easily see the screen. "Clark, you don't need to tell me what Lex wants to know. I figured it out already." A simulation of a meteor shower, the first one, appeared on the screen. "Dr. Swann gave me the figures, and I did the rest of the math myself. Not being a big believer in extra terrestrial life, I was suspicious, but I refuse to believe that Virgil could have been that wrong about anything." Bruce watched Clark's face. "So, nice to meet you, Kal-El."

"But if you already knew, when did you figure it out?" Chloe asked, amazed.

"I'd known about Kal-El before I'd met either of you at the RiverWalk Festival, but didn't make the connection until I got back to Gotham. That's why I set up the interview, and why I wanted to Clark to be there. I didn't know if Clark was Kal-El himself, or was in some way connected to Kal-El, like helping Virgil track him down. Right before our interview, it all came together for me." Bruce nodded. "It occurred to me that if Lex was your neighbor and he hadn't figured it all out yet, then someone was doing a pretty good job of covering your tracks." The billionaire turned and smiled at Chloe, who had lost her fear of the unknown jet in the shock of Bruce's revelation. "So, now the million dollar question, Clark. Why don't you want Lex to know what's going on? I'd lay odds that you've had some run-ins with him already, and your instincts are to let him linger in his ignorance for a good long while yet."

"I never told Lex because I was…" Clark began, and after a pause, "Afraid. I was afraid they'd find a way to lock me in a lab, experimenting on me. Lex has a whole collection of meteor freaks and genetic anomalies in a place called area 33.1"

"We don't know for sure the place exists, Clark." Chloe added. "All I had was the word of a psycho computer programmer, an energy freak and our favorite vigilante Andrea. Not exactly the testimony of unimpeachable sources." She rolled her eyes. "The Luthors are two things, desperately power hungry, and.."

"The other is insanely curious." Bruce laughed. "Lex is always looking for the edge, and sometimes the edge is just playing things cool and hanging back. But Lex never knew that; given Lionel, Lex may never learn that. Their lust for power and information will be their undoing, Clark, it's just going to take time. As for Area 33.1, I've heard rumors about a place doing testing on meta-humans, but I didn't have much to go on. I'd ruled out Gotham City as the testing grounds, but didn't think about Metropolis."

"But you weren't going to say anything about me, even though you knew." Clark spoke again, his voice full of shock. "And now that I've told you, you could be taking me to a testing center now. We don't even know where we're going."

"Why? You don't build trust with someone by slapping them with their secrets, Clark. I figured when you were ready, you'd tell me what you wanted me to know. When I got your call today, I knew you were ready to tell me. As for genetic testing on aliens, I think that's a little out there, even for me." Bruce looked back at the auto-pilot. "We're almost at our destination now. I wanted to bring you to the most secure place I could think of." He turned and took the controls of the plane again. "We'll be there in ten minutes. Oh, and Chloe," He turned to look at Chloe over his shoulder. "I trust you, but this may be more than your little reporter's heart can stand, so, I'm giving you a warning. If word of anything you see or hear in the next hour makes it into any paper, any where in the world, your career as a journalist is over." He turned back and dipped the plane into a sharp dive, guiding it into a large, oblong cave. Bruce landed the jet and undid his straps.

"We're here." He got up and held out a hand to Chloe. "Clark, I brought you here as a quid-pro-quo. I know about you, and now it's time to tell you more about myself. We all have secrets, and this is mine."

Chloe stood alone, looking around her. Nothing she'd ever seen in her life could have prepared her for this. All around her were examples of technology that the world had never seen, and a glass case, roughly seven feet tall and lit from within was a suit of body armor that Chloe swore she'd dreamt about in her nightmares. There was a sparring ring, several examples of rare Tibetan weapons, and a computer set up that would have made Bill Gates weep with envy. A shrill scream sounded from over head, coupled with the sound of many leathery wings flapping caused Chloe to cover her head and duck. As she rose, she spotted Clark, who was also looking around in amazement, but he had followed Bruce to the computer area, where a 72 inch monitor glowed to life.

"Clark, Chloe, welcome to the Bat Cave." Bruce gestured around him. "I've still got a lot of work to do on it – it's not really perfected yet, but it's home."

"Home?" Chloe found her voice. "This is your home?"

"Well, not technically, I don't get my mail here." Bruce turned around and looked at Chloe. "Come on, Sullivan. Is that really the best you can do?"

"You're that vigilante that's been working on cleaning up Gotham City." Chloe's eyes widened as realization dawned across her face. "You're Batman." Her fingers twitched and Clark knew she was dying to write it down.

Clark turned and looked at his new friend, aghast. "You're Batman? THE Batman?"

"That's what they call me, and yes, I guess it works. I want people to be intimidated by this, it's really a powerful tool, intimidation." Bruce shrugged. He was more relaxed and at ease then he had ever appeared thus far, and Clark liked this Bruce Wayne very much. "I'm not a meta-human, I have no amazing powers. Just me, my gadgets, and..."

"An IQ equal to Albert Einstein." Chloe added, looking around. "I can't believe it, Bruce Wayne, the playboy tycoon by day, hero by night." She looked at the body armor again and shuddered.

Bruce smiled. " Look, Clark. I wanted to you to see this, because I wanted to help you understand that I won't ever betray you. I'm honored that you told me your secret, and I'm returning the favor by showing you mine." There was a click, and then the sound of Alfred, Bruce's loyal assistant, echoed through the cavern.

"Mr. Bruce, shall I bring refreshments down for you and your guests? I'm sure their flight was quite unnerving, and the tour of your, ehem, den has left them needing some strong tea."

"Yes, Alfred, quite right." Bruce nodded. "We'll take it all here, if you don't mind."

"No, sir, of course not. Would Mr. Kent like some apple pie? It's not homemade of course, this being cooks night off, but I assure you, it's very good."

Clark gasped and looked at Bruce, who merely shrugged. "I don't even know how he does it, Clark. Just go with it."

"Um, yes, thank you, Mr. Pennyworth." Clark replied and the older British man chuckled.

"No sir, I'm just Alfred. I'll be down directly." There was another click and the intercom turned off.

"Alfred raised me after my parents died. My uncle lived with us for awhile, but he died right before I went to Excelsior." Bruce began his story simply. "I spent a long time grieving for my parents, wishing I could get them back, get back at whoever had pulled the trigger. Sending their murderer to jail was not enough." His hand touched a photograph of a couple and a small boy. Silently, Bruce handed the photo to Chloe who took it, eager to study the faces in it. "Did I ever tell you, Clark, that my mother's name was Martha? I thought about that when I saw your dossier in Dr. Swann's research." Bruce looked up at the computer screen. "It became a life quest for me, to stop anyone from suffering the way I had. But it didn't help." Bruce looked over at Clark. "You just lost your father, didn't you?"

"Yes, the night he was elected State Senator." Clark nodded. "That's how Mom got the job."

"I'm going to give you some advice, Clark. Don't let your personal feelings get in the way. Your pain, your suffering, and even your love, "He looked over at Chloe. "Can be weapons that are used against you. I learned that, and when I said goodbye to my 'Chloe Sullivan' it was the one of the hardest things I've ever had to do." Bruce clapped a hand on Clark's shoulder. "But you are different than I am. Super powered, stronger than steel. I know that Dr. Swann found messages from your home world about your destiny being to conquer, but I'll tell you Clark." Bruce's face was somber, and he suddenly looked very, very old. "There is more merit in stopping those who would destroy, those who would live outside the laws and gorge themselves on the blood, sweat and tears of the average person. Being a tycoon is really my part-time job." Bruce released Clark's shoulder. "What you have to decide is, are you ready to do what it takes to become who you are meant to become, without anyone else's expectations get in the way?."

"All I've ever wanted to be was normal." Clark replied, as Alfred made his way toward them, from some unseen passage. "That was all I ever wanted." His eyes sought out Chloe, who was gratefully accepting a hot cup of tea and a large sweater from Alfred.

"Me too, kid. Me too." Bruce nodded, his nearly black eyes full of a sadness that Clark recognized from his own grief. "But that's not what hand we were dealt. And, Clark, I meant it about Chloe. She's one in a million. Don't let her go, and don't end up like me, alone and in the dark."

Lana sat alone in the screened in porch of the guesthouse. Her high school yearbook sat on the table beside her, and Lex's bouquet of irises were on the counter, in a vase Lana had kept from the days when Aunt Nell owned the town florist shop. The last few days had given Lana an education that she had never bargained for. Lex's Clark Kent museum had only been the tip of the iceberg. Since that night, whether because he was plagued by insecurity, or trying to lead her to betray him, Lex's moods had been black, sinister even, and Lana had on more than one occasion wondered if she had done the right thing getting so involved with Lex this fast. She had been sitting on this porch for hours, the tea beside her was ice cold. Not for the first time, Lana wondered about Lex's mother, and why she hadn't had the foresight to kill Lex in his cradle to protect him from Lionel, instead of waiting for Julian to be born. The disgust and loathing that had sprouted during her tour of Lex's secret room had grown and intertwined with her love for Lex, which had been all consuming and sudden, and the fruit that was borne of that tragic combination was bitter in Lana's heart. And Lex was the product of another woman's tragic love and bitterness. And Lana knew, that no matter what happened, her place was with him, to make things right for him as well as she could. And if that meant letting Clark know if there was trouble brewing before Lex could get himself in deeper, that's what Lana would do. It was for Lex's own good.

"It's cold out here." Lex said, entering the porch without making a sound. He draped Lana's pink blanket around her shoulders. "You'll catch your death."

"I'm just sitting here thinking." Lana said after a long moment of silence. "I'm thinking about what your father said to me last week."

"Lana, not again." Lex sighed impatiently. "I'm not going over this again. Weren't the flowers enough of an apology for yesterday?"

"No, it's not that. The flowers are beautiful. I know you love me." Lana reached for Lex's hand. "I was just thinking about what made Lionel so bitter. Why he is so anxious to see you hurt." She kissed Lex's hand. "I thought parents were supposed to love their children."

Lex nodded. "That's the major consensus. But my father is not the norm. Have you really been sitting out here all this time thinking about that?" He pulled Lana from her chair and hugged her, reveling in the softness of her hair, and the warmness of her body.

"I was just thinking about what I would do to keep someone I love from hurting themselves." Lana said softly into his chest.

"Me, too." Lex willed the image of Lana and Clark together at the Talon today to go away, and to ignore the yearbook on the table. Old feelings didn't matter anymore. Only the future mattered. And Lana, whatever petty betrayal she dished out, was a large part of the future Lex had planned for himself.

Tuesday. It was almost dawn when Bruce's stealth jet touched down at Smallvilles airport. They had spent the entire night in talking, Clark and Bruce going over the volumes of Dr. Swann's research. The friendly atmosphere had nearly vanished when Bruce suggested to Clark that flying would probably be a good idea. Clark had immediately shut down the idea, and Bruce had seemingly given up, but had handed Chloe a CD-ROM that detailed Dr. Swann's speculations on that still as yet untapped ability of Clarks. And it seemed, for the first time since Chloe knew Clark, that he had begun to truly embrace his potential, to become a hero, not a conqueror. She had never been more proud of him. Clark and Chloe said their goodbyes to Bruce, but not before Bruce extracted from Chloe yet another promise to not write about anything she had seen and heard that night. Clark could feel Chloe's resistance to that promise, but she gave it anyway. There were tears in her eyes when she hugged Bruce after her promise, and she nearly gasped when he folded his arms around her too, giving her a brotherly hug. Bruce leaned down and whispered something to Chloe, causing her to release him and look into his eyes for what seemed like an eternity. When she turned away, Chloe's face was a study in grief, but Clark saw something else, something he'd never seen before in her eyes. She went to Clark and put her arms around him, and sobbed twice, before wiping her face.

"Clark." Bruce held out his hand. "I won't call you Kal. It doesn't fit you, that name, does it." Bruce tipped his head and studied Clark in the new light of the morning. "You look like a Superman to me."

"Superman." Clark raised his eyebrows, saying the word doubtfully.

"Well, maybe not." Bruce teased. "I'd call you Robin, but you don't fly. How about Running Guy, or Super X-Ray Man?" Clark could sense the same unspoken dare Bruce had used to get Chloe into the stealth jet. "You'll never know until you take off, Clark."

Clark shook Bruce's hand. "When I do fly, Bruce, you'll be the first to know, well, after Chloe and Mom. And as for a secret identity, _Batman_, I am definitely not a Robin."

"You're right." Bruce laughed, releasing Clark's hand. "Don't worry about Lex, Clark. I'll distract him for awhile, keep him off your trail." With a parting wave, he climbed back into the jet and then turned around. "Clark!"

Clark and Chloe turned around. Bruce was leaning out of the hatch opening.

"The day is going to come, Clark, when you are not going to be able to hide in Smallville, Kansas anymore. That's the day you will truly realize that your being here on Earth is only the beginning of a bigger destiny. You'll be ready to use your powers to help others, and yes, you'll fly. There are people out there who will need help, and it will be

the kind of help that only you can give. When all that comes together for you, I'll be there to help you get started, if you need to. Meanwhile, have fun. Enjoy what time you have. " He gave them a small, sharp wave and pulled the hatch closed.

"That was the strangest night, ever." Chloe said, snuggling close, Clark's arm a comforting presence on her shoulder.

"Stranger than the night you were possessed, kidnapped and held in a mass murderers basement? Stranger than being transported to a fortress of ice in the middle of the Arctic wasteland? Stranger than…."Clark rattled off the litany of their adventures, and Chloe laughed.

"Okay, okay, it's definitely up there on the weird-o-meter, though. I would have never thought Bruce Wayne was the Batman of Gotham City. " She looked around cautiously.

"It's amazing how he's been able to compensate for not having super-powers. And all of the people he's helped. Did you know that the Ra's Al Ghul crime syndicate took a big hit when Batman started working in Gotham City?" Chloe looked up into Clark's face. It was obvious he had no idea who Ra's Al Ghul was. "Really, Clark, what do you read in the newspaper? The comics and the weather?"

"I like the sports section, too." Clark said, letting Chloe punch him in the arm. "And your articles."

"There is a lot of good to be done in Metropolis, Clark. And you could do it." Chloe said, changing tactics. "Maybe Bruce Wayne isn't entirely wrong."

"Wrong about what?" Clark scooped Chloe up into his arms. "Ready to go home?"

"No, not yet." Chloe said, enjoying being held by Clark this way. "Bruce wasn't wrong about you being a Superman. I mean, I've always thought you were pretty Super, Clark."

"Chloe," Clark warned, loving how her grin widened and how the dawn touched her face and made it glow. He didn't want to think about Bruce Wayne anymore. He wanted to lose himself in this beautiful girl in his arms and forget everything. For now. But, Chloe was Chloe, and she was not letting it drop.

"Only I don't see you in black. That's Bruce Wayne's deal. No, I see you in blue, with a red cape. Wouldn't that be nice, Clark?" Chloe reached up and kissed him. "Girls love a hero. And you look amazing in blue and red." She said, breaking the kiss and looking into his blue-green eyes.

"The only girl I care about is about to get super-speeded back to my loft. And no, no way I'm wearing a red cape, ever." Clark kissed her nose. "Hang on, Chloe."

They took off together, Clark holding Chloe tightly against him, faster than the eye could see.

"Alfred." Bruce Wayne spoke into the headset microphone. The camera on the bottom of the plane caught Clark and Chloe before they vanished, and Bruce smiled.

"Good morning, sir. Are your friends home safely?" Alfred asked neutrally.

'Safe and sound, Alfred. Listen, I need two favors. First, call Rita and cancel everything today, then have her call Lex Luthor. "

"Lex Luthor, sir?" The British man was non-plussed.

"Yes. I'd like to talk to him about becoming my partner in acquiring a major league baseball team. Make arrangements for a day at Green Socks Stadium. Let's get Mr. Luthor nice and distracted, until Clark finds his feet."

"You mean his wings, don't you sir?" Alfred chuckled and Bruce smiled.

"I say feet, you say wings, Alfred. Then get Lucius Fox on the phone and tell him I want to know all about parachute material."

"Parachute material, sir?" Alfred usually did not question Bruce, but today he sensed a change in Bruce's demeanor, a slight lightening of spirit.

"Yes." Bruce replied simply. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason, Mr. Bruce. It just seemed like an odd request at 6:30 in the morning. And, if you don't mind my saying so, sir, you seem a little more relaxed today."

"You know, Alfred, I think I'm going to be getting some help keeping things in this crazy world we're in in some order before long." Bruce nodded. "And I could definitely stand knowing there was someone out there on my side."

"That would be nice, sir." Alfred sighed, feeling a bit relieved himself. It would be good to know that Bruce finally had allies that could fight with him. It would be good for him to finally have friends that he can trust, Alfred thought. I won't be here for him forever.


	5. Direction & Diversion

Wednesday. Clark woke up, and hearing the sounds of Chloe in the shower, decided to head downstairs for to get some breakfast. Martha Kent sat at the kitchen table, staring down in to her coffee. Her business suit and sleek hair told Clark she was off to Wichita again.

"Morning, Mom." He kissed his mother, and went to the refrigerator for some juice.

"Clark, I don't think I have to say anything to you about you're being out all night with Chloe, and then letting her sleep in your room, do I?" Martha Kent looked up at her son, fixing him with a stern glare. "But, since neither of you moved all day yesterday, I guess no harm was done. Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Okay, Mom." Clark drank the juice from the container, catching the dishtowel his mother tossed at him easily, and ignoring her disgusted wail. "Mom, Chloe and I were in Gotham City with Bruce Wayne."

"Really." Martha Kent nodded. "I guess Chloe's interview made an impression on him."

"It's not just that." Clark opened his mouth to tell his mother the basics, but then stopped. "He's going to help me distract Lex for awhile. Lex has been investigating me again."

"Oh, Clark!" Martha gasped. "I'm going to see Lionel today, if…" Clark shook his head. One lesson he had learned from Bruce Wayne is that some secrets need to be kept from the people you think you can trust the most. And it broke his heart to not tell his mother about his new ally.

"Mom, I don't want you to ask Lionel for anything, especially where it concerns me. If Lex wants to dig, let him. But let's leave Lionel out of it. He's already been exposed to too many of my secrets. I don't want to confirm anything he may suspect."

"Okay, Clark." Martha stood on tiptoe and kissed her son goodbye. "Honey?"

"Yeah, Mom." Clark was deep in thought.

"Are you okay? Anything bothering you?" She looked up into his face. "You looked so far away."

'No. I was just thinking that Chloe and I may go up to the Arctic today. It might be time for me to learn some more from Jor-El. "

"Jor-El?" But Martha saw the look on Clark's face. "Honey, every time you are around Jor-El, you're put into danger. Are you sure?" She put her hand on Clark's cheek. "I don't think I'm strong enough to lose you." She smiled at her son. "Just be real careful, okay, Clark?"

"I will." Clark smiled. "It will be okay, I promise. I think he'll like what I have to tell him."

"Good. I'll be back from Wichita on Friday., and oh, an overnight package came for you very early this morning. Do you know someone named Lucius Fox."

"Thanks, Mom." After Martha left, Clark found the package and opened it. There several scarf sized samples of a strange new fabric inside, including two or three squares of a leather-like substance. Clark lifted one fabric samples out, causing a note on creamy executive paper to fall to the floor.

"What's this?" Chloe asked, looking young and innocent in Martha's sweats. She stooped to pick up the note. She cleared her throat and read the note aloud.

"Dear Mr. Kent,

"Mr. Wayne asked me to forward to you some of our experimental polymer fabrics. These are designed to withstand high speeds, massive temperature fluctuation and be light enough to be worn under street clothes. This super polymer fabric is used for space shuttle construction, as a shield that lines and protects the hull on exit and re-entry of the atmosphere. It is as durable as steel, and but wears like silk – it can easily be concealed under street clothing, if you were so inclined. I think it will suit your purposes, and if black isn't what you are looking for, we also have a surplus of white, silver, red and dark blue. Send your reply back through secure channels, and we'll get you all squared away. We even have some red and yellow isopolymers that are heavier and would make outstanding footwear. I have included samples of those as well.

Very sincerely yours,

Lucius Fox,

C.E.O. – Wayne Industries."

"It comes in blue." Chloe smiled, fishing a length of fabric from the box. A vivid sweep of scarlet spilled in her hands. Chloe wrapped herself in it, and smiled flirtatiously at Clark. "And red."

"I don't even believe this." Clark laughed, dropping the black fabric sample back in the box to gather Chloe in his arms. "You put Bruce up to this."

"No, not really." The look Clark had seen on Chloe's face yesterday morning was there again, clearly this time, and he smiled to see it. It was triumph, pride and love combined, and together, they were more beautiful on Chloe than any jewels could have been. "He just told me that we needed to give you a push. There's too much good that you could do to let you stay here in Kansas forever."

"I have been thinking about the good I could do, Chloe. Do you have any of your winter things at Lois' or do we need to go back to Metropolis?" Clark smiled at her. "I'm thinking we could go to the Fortress and get started on my extracurricular activity."

As always, Chloe was amazed at the majesty of Clark's little piece of Krypton on Earth. Although cold, Clark's Fortress was full of clear, bright light. And, unlike Bruce Wayne's underground cavern, there were no flying surprises here, Chloe thought, safely wrapped in blankets against the cold. Except one. Clark had made several attempts at flight, and all had ended abruptly. But there was a similarity that occurred to Chloe as she looked up at the tall, shining beams of ice that made up the Fortress. Both Clark's haven and Bruce's refuge were cathedral-like, places of reflection and learning. Even if Clark's was cold enough to hang meat and Bruce's dark and somber enough to inspire nightmares, they essentially served the same purpose. Finding herself more at home in Clark's sanctuary, Chloe found herself able to concentrate. So, Chloe sat, reading Dr. Swann's theories on Clark's abilities, sipping coffee from one of the thermoses that had made the trip here through the portal in the caves.

"You okay, Chloe?" Clark called out from one of the tallest outcroppings of ice. Chloe looked up and waved, smiling. All afternoon, Clark had reminded Chloe of a little boy learning to dive. His beautiful face was set in resolute lines, his mouth grim. Clark had not discovered the joy in flying, or in learning to fly, that is. Repressing the urge to quote Peter Pan at him, and ordering Clark to find his happy thoughts, Chloe had just gotten used to the almost silent jumps, followed immediately by nearly earth-shaking falls.

"I'm great. Not a Chloe-sicle yet, so it's all good." She turned her attention back to the computer. "There has to be some secret weapon in your battle against gravity in here somewhere. I know I'll find it – I just hope I understand what it means when I do." There was a fairly large, solid thud about ten feet away from where Chloe sat, but she did not divert her attention from the computer. "When you are done channelling Chevy Chase, Clark, come take a look at this."

Laughing, Clark stood, brushing snow from his pants. "Why can't I ask that Lucius Fox guy for a jet pack or something? Maybe Dr. Swann and Bruce are wrong about this." He loped toward Chloe and sat down beside her, wrapping her in his huge embrace. She cuddled a little closer, and smiled. The fact that Chloe had not tried to go back to Smallville yet made Clark happy, but also worried him. She was not impervious to cold, like he was. For the very first time, Clark realized how frail the humans around him really were, and it made him feel very responsible for them, and also, reminded him painfully of the image Cassandra had seen such a long time ago. The idea of being alone, losing everyone he loved was suddenly so real that Clark banished the thought, hugging Chloe closer.

"Right, an alien with a jet pack. That's original, Clark. Who are you, Marvin Martian?" Chloe pointed to the complex equation on the screen. "Anyway, apply your super brain to that and tell me what it means."

Clark frowned at the screen, concentrating. "Well, this," Clark pointed to the first part of the equation, "represents gravity. And this," he moved his finger to the next section, "looks like force" and then, "No way." He seemed to be solving the equation in his head, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"No way, what?" Chloe asked. This math was WAY over her head. But Clark seemed to read the numbers like a favorite language.

"This is a variable, that equals the Earth's magnetic fields. I'm going to definitely need a jet pack." Clark shook his head, glad to give up the flying practice for a few minutes. "Nothing can manipulate the Earth's magnetic fields. It's impossible."

"_Indeed? Once again, my son, you underestimate your capacity to control your surroundings."_ Jor-El's voice echoed through the Fortress. _"Simply will it to be so."_

"Just like that?" Clark stood, partly out of respect and partly because he didn't want to be low when Jor-El made his appearances. "Did you fly on Krypton?"

"_I did not." _Jor-El replied. _"The yellow sun of this planet affects Kryptonians differently, my son. But you know this."_ The air grew colder. _"What is THAT doing here?"_

"Excuse me, sir." Chloe jumped to her feet. "What exactly do you mean by 'That"?"

"_I know what you are, daughter of Earth."_ Jor-El seemed almost amused. _"What is that primitive technology at your feet?"_

Clark and Chloe simultaneously looked down at their feet. The laptop hummed happily on the blankets Chloe had been sitting on, and mischievously, they grinned together.

"I thought he was dead, Clark," Chloe muttered, and Clark snorted, repressing the laugh.

"_Disrespect." _Jor-El intoned. _"So human."_

"Jor-El, I want to learn how to fly." Clark cast a warning glance at Chloe. "I understand what my destiny actually means."

"_Is it so? I have detected no change in your attitude, Kal-El,that would assure me that you are ready to embrace your destiny. Simply by bringing your human companion with you, you have illustrated to me that you are not ready." _Jor-El rebuked his son. _"Go, and return when you are committed."_

"He is committed, Jor-El." Chloe yelled loyally at the invisible voice. "I was trying to help him, trying to solve the riddles we've gotten from Dr. Swann."

"_The only human that came slightly close to understanding."_ Jor-El's voice changed. _"There is no riddle, daughter of Earth. Kal-El wishes to learn to fly, and I say he already can. All he needs to do is obey, and WILL IT TO BE SO. But, your loyalty to my son is commendable, daughter of Earth. Kal-El will be merciful to those such as yourself, when he is ruler of all."_

"You say just will it to be so?" Clark looked up skeptically. "That's it?"

"_It is that simple, and yet quite difficult. It requires discipline you don't have, Kal-El."_

Clark nodded, jumping away from Chloe to an large, open space. Closing his eyes, Clark visualized leaving the ground, soaring through the sky faster than Bruce's stealth jet, leaving just a streak of blue and red in the sky. The ground beneath him melted away, his feet feeling the air. The sudden, cutting sensation of the air made Clark open his eyes, in time to dodge one of the large, jagged pillars of ice. The speed was blinding, and Clark could barely see at all. Everything was a streak of color.

"CLARK! YOU'RE DOING IT!" Chloe cheered, jumping up and down joyfully. "YOU CAN FLY!" She squealed, holding her arms in the air, like a small child waiting to be picked up, jumping again. Clark zoomed by her, the force of his wake enough to knock her to the floor.

Chloe sat up, smiling. "He can fly." She whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "It's like a dream."

"_Simply will yourself to slow down."_ Jor-El's voice was gentle, almost fatherly. _"You have done well for today."_

Clark willed himself to slow down, and then to stop, coming to a landing near where Chloe still sat on the heap of blankets she had discarded, weeping joyfully. Neither of them had noticed that the temperature inside of the Fortress had become more temperate, comfortable enough for Chloe to be there without fear of frostbite.

"_Daughter of Earth. You have shown evidence of your fidelity and devotion to Kal-El numerous times, and today, I am sure that your presence has been beneficial to him. You are welcome here." _Jor-El said, and Chloe felt herself being lifted in Clark's arms. _"Whatever your destiny is, daughter of Earth, you are linked forever with Kal-El as his helper and guide on this first part of his journey._"

"I guess he likes you." Clark said, looking into Chloe's eyes. Tears made black spikes of her eyelashes, and her hazel eyes shone like topaz jewels. "Which is great, because I love you."

"Clark." Chloe swallowed, sniffling loudly. "I want to fly, too. Make me fly with you."

She put her arms around his neck. Clark lowered his face to hers and kissed her.

"It's too dangerous, Chloe. I can't control it yet. But you saw it, I really did fly, didn't I?" He whispered, and she kissed his cheeks, his eyes, her heart so absolutely full of love and pride that she could not speak. Nodding, she laughed as Clark swung her around. "Chloe Sullivan is speechless." He laughed, calling out to the shimmering ice around them, his voice ringing against the pillars like deep bells. "CHLOE SULLIVAN IS SPEECHLESS AND I CAN FLY!"

"You love me." Chloe whispered into the collar of Clark's jacket. "I love you, so very, very much." And all Chloe could think beyond that was, thank you, thank you, thank you, God. I've waited my whole life for this moment. He really does love me. And, I feel like I can fly.

Friday. Alone in the Gotham Stadium Sky Box, Bruce waited for Lex Luthor and his guest to arrive. Other than the brief meeting in Metropolis and then the phone conversation last week, Bruce had not spent any time with Lex since Excelsior. If what Clark and Chloe said about Lex was even partially true, Lex had not changed very much since then. Getting Lex to invest in the Green Socks was a diversion, of course, because the team was a moneymaking enterprise already. A new investor would simply infuse some capital into the team. The object was to create an interesting enough diversion for Lex for the time being. Keeping Lex and his date amused while they were here in Gotham City wouldn't be that hard, either. There was the gala at the Planetarium, a concert at Gotham Garden Arena, touring the city, and if all else failed, Bruce could take them to the opera or a show in the theater district. The challenge would be keeping Lex diverted, Bruce thought, looking around. He thought a moment about the girl Lex was bringing.

This Lana Lang had, up until very, very recently been involved with Clark. Bruce remembered her file – the standard cheat sheet he tried to have on anyone that came into his acquaintance. She had graduated from Smallville High, spent three months in Paris, studying art, traveled to China on some crazy treasure hunt and owned one of the more profitable businesses in Smallville. But the item Bruce had found most interesting is that she too, had lost her parents at a very young age, during the freak accident that brought Clark to Smallville. He wondered idly if Lana knew about that, but the big mystery to Bruce was what Lex and Lana saw in each other at all. There would be time for figuring that out during this visit. At least everything here was ready, the buffet set with the best the gourmet kitchen here could provide, including some surprises. Alfred had seen to everything and as usual, all was perfect.

A discreet beep sounded from the security panel near the door.

"Mr. Wayne, your guests are here." The female security guard announced, and Bruce nodded.

"Thank you, Aletha. Send them up, please."

"Yes sir, Mr. Wayne." Moments later, there was a knock on the Sky Box door.

"Lex!" Bruce said, opening his arms in welcome. "How great that you could make it!"

Lex smiled. Bruce noted with some satisfaction that Lex had not dressed down, but was elegantly dressed in a dark jacket and pants – the only condescension to the informality of the surroundings was a natty plum silk t-shirt. Which meant that he hadn't changed much from school after all. They shook hands.

"Bruce, wouldn't have missed it. I'd like you to meet my, friend, Lana Lang." Lex introduced the girl smoothly, and Bruce could see why Lex was interested. Lana was very pretty, in an exotic way, long dark hair and almond eyes. She appeared nervous, until she took in that Bruce was wearing jeans too.

"Oh, thank God!" Lana sighed, smiling. Bruce took her small hand in his. "I thought I was going to be grotesquely under-dressed."

"Not at all, Lana. This is baseball." Bruce smiled. "Is this your first trip to Gotham City?"

"Yes. I've been amazed at the architecture here. It's so, omnious." Lana replied. "I'm used to Metropolis, I guess. More glass and steel."

"We've been talking about touring the great cities of America." Lex interjected, taking Lana's hand from Bruce with a small smile. "Lana has been to Paris, but never Edge City."

"Now, Edge City has one of the best Thai restaurants this side of Bangkok, Lana. The pad thai is really worth trying." Bruce rejoined calmly, pretending not to notice Lex's possessive grasp. "I'm sure Metropolis has it's fair share of good restaurants."

"Well, I'm not really in to Thai food." Lana said apologetically. "In Paris, I was always looking for good American food, but it was never quite right."

Bruce saw his opportunity and he took it. Putting an arm around Lana's shoulders, he steered her toward the buffet. "Well, let me tell you a little bit about our chef here at the stadium," He turned to look at Lex over his shoulder. "Baseball stadium dining is definitely heading upscale, and Gotham Stadium is no exception."

"It's quite a trend. We're working on something for the Metropolis Sharks stadium. Now that we're in the off season, we're going to begin construction on a restaurant that has views down to the field." Lex replied. "You'll have to come as our guest when the season opens this fall."

"I will." Bruce nodded, and turned back to Lana. "We can prepare everything from pate to lobster, prime rib to baby back ribs and the fans in the stands have all kinds of options too." As Bruce spoke, the waitstaff opened the steaming trays of food. "Just about anything you can imagine, can be done." He noted Lana's disappointed face.

"Lana? What's wrong? Something not right?"

'Oh, no." Lana drew away, her hand finding Lex's again. She smiled up at Bruce. "It's all just a little much for a girl from Smallville, that's all." Lana eyed the elaborate table with a polite smile. "It's all lovely, really."

"No, there's something not right." Bruce turned, folding his arms and looking at the table with a semi-serious glare. "Lex, anything missing that you can see?"

"Not that I can tell." Lex surveyed the table. "The prime rib looks outstanding."

"Lana, we still haven't looked at that table." Bruce took her hand again and led her to the table opposite them, which was also lined with heavy silver chafing dishes.

"Madamoiselle, permit me to share with you, the piece de resistance." Bruce lifted the lid of the first chafing dish with a flourish, and Lana dissolved into girlish giggles that made Bruce smile. Inside, gourmet hot dogs rested in hand rolled, brioche style buns.

"Bruce, you think of everything." Lex laughed too, seeming to relax himself. "Where are the peanuts and cracker jack?" His tone was mildly challenging, and Bruce winked at Lana, setting the lid he was holding down, and gesturing to the servers. Three waiters came forward, each bearing a large crystal dish – each dish filled with either popcorn, steaming roasted peanuts and finally, a glistening dish of cracker jack, which by the fresh molasses smell, had been just made. The other trays were uncovered, revealing sauerkraut, chili, french fries, and large soft pretzels dotted with white chunks of salt.

"How about now, Lana. Anything missing?" Bruce laughed, and Lana shook her head, her eyes dancing with amusement.

"I'm afraid to say yes.' She grinned, taking a hot dog from the open tray. "When does the game start?"

There was loud crack of a ball hitting a baseball bat, and Lex and Bruce looked at each other over Lana's unsuspecting head.

"It already has." Lex replied, his eyes not leaving Bruce's. "Come on, Lana, let's go watch the game." Together they walked to the plate glass windows, leaving Bruce alone by the buffet.

You bet your ass it has, Lex. Bruce thought to himself, taking hot dog from the tray himself. You ain't seen nothing yet.

Bruce spent the rest of the day being the 'average Joe' with Lana, playing perfectly off Lex's reserved, refined façade. It was a gift of Bruce's; to be for people what they expected. It was a talent that helped the Batman – bad men needed an even worse man to scare them straight and Bruce was glad to oblige. This, flirting with Lana to keep Lex off balance was fun, too. It had been a long time since he'd wanted to flirt with anyone, and with Lana there was zero chance of her falling for him. It was obvious she was devoted to Lex, if maybe a little out of her depth and a little young. The baseball game had gone well, and when Lana mused at how much fun it had all been, Lex offered to buy a partnership in the Gotham Green Socks. Bruce agreed, of course, and set an appointment to meet with the attorney's two days from now, ensuring Lex and Lana staying at least until then. It was time Bruce was buying, and as it turned out, it wasn't at too high a price.

Now, Bruce stood in the lobby of the Gotham Plaza, the most elegant and upscale hotel in the city, waiting for Lex and Lana to appear, so they could all head over to the Planetarium. He looked at his watch, and as he looked up, Lana appeared, looking heavenly in a soft lavender gown, her hair pulled away from her face in an elegant sweep. She stopped when she saw Bruce and twirled playfully, making her skirt drift over her ankles in a graceful swirl. When she stopped, Lana tipped her head and asked, "Well?"

"You look like an angel." Bruce smiled, holding out his hand. "Where's Lex?"

"On a call with London. Something about something he's looking to buy." Lana said, touching the dainty pearl and moonstone necklace she wore. "He said he'll meet us later."

"Well," Bruce bowed. "My Lady. I'd be honored to escort you to the gala. Come on, you can help me make about fifteen debutantes extremely jealous."

"Oh, my!" Lana laughed, taking Bruce's arm. "Let's not keep them waiting."

As Bruce predicted, they made quite an entrance, and Lana was a little overwhelmed by the media attention. Lex most of the time avoided paparazzi, and quite honestly was not quite as high profile as Bruce Wayne. Once past the red carpet, Lana was in awe of the state of the art planetarium.

"Being an astronomy major, this should interest you." Bruce pointed Lana toward a series of small rooms that lined one end of the upper hall. All around them, the dark blue ceiling had been set in with LED lights, mapping out constellations and galaxies. A huge model of the solar system hung from the center of the ceiling, the 'sun' comprised of lead crystals and glittering golden metal supports.

"Mr. Wayne, I doubt Lex would approve of us being alone like this." Lana teased as several couples moved past them, heading toward the ballroom where the gala would be held.

"I understand completely. That's why I'm waiting outside. I want you to check this out." Bruce opened the door, which hissed. "It's a virtual reality room. The goggles go on like sunglasses, so you won't mess up your hair. Go ahead." He pushed her inside gently and closed the door. After five minutes, Lana reappeared, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"It took me through the Milky Way. I felt like I was flying." Lana said, smiling. "What a wonderful invention."

"These are prototypes, Lana. We're hoping that by sending more explorer probes out, we can enhance these simulators, make astronomy more fun for children to learn. Someday, we'll be mapping routes to Mars, and I hope that the children who use these today as learning tools will be the pilots who fly the missions. It's sort of a strange thing, I guess, but one of my father's greatest legacies to me was the value of education." Bruce took Lana's hand. "Now, on to the grown up fun. Come see the ballroom."

Lana was stunned. The Wayne Planetarium ballroom, though inside, looked for all the world like an Italian terrace, complete with marble, cypress trees and a domed ceiling that twinkled with stars. Everyone and everything was bathed in the most perfect moonlight ever.

"Oh, Bruce." Lana gasped. "Surely you designed this with someone in mind."

"My architect designed it, but I told him about the last vacation with my parents to Tuscany when I was eight. I remembered a place like this, and seeing my parents dance on the terrace of the villa we owned. It has stayed in my memory always as one of the most perfect moments, and I wanted to recreate it here. Because the stars are more than science, don't you think?" The band began to play. "Want to dance?" Bruce held out a hand.

"It would be unfair to the memory of your parents to say no." Lana said, a little shyly.

If not for Lex, Lana thought as Bruce Wayne took her in his arms to sweep her across the dance floor, it would be so easy to lose my head right now. She smiled, enjoying the song, a seemingly odd song, but for Bruce Wayne and his dome of stars, it was perfect.

"_And as I float along this ocean  
I can feel you like a notion that won't seem to let me go_

Cause when I look to the sky something tells me you're here with me  
And you make everything alright  
And when I feel like I'm lost something tells me you're here with me  
And I can always find my way when you are here "

Not for the first time, Lana was reminded of Clark, dancing with Bruce Wayne. Perhaps it was his height, or the fact that in spite of the romantic atmosphere and the intoxicating smell of jasmine that surrounded them, he held her no closer than if she were his sister. She smiled up at him, and her eyes filled. Also like Clark, Bruce was a million miles away. Feeling her eyes on him, Bruce looked down at her.

"You okay?" He asked, and Lana was surprised, blinking back tears.

"I'm fine. Thinking of old loves, I guess." Lana laughed. "What a moment."

"Yeah, I know the feeling." Bruce smiled. "Well, whoever he was, I can't imagine he's all that bright. And you and Lex seem happy."

"I think we are." Lana said, simply. "It's all so sudden. "

"Well, that's all you can do, is move on." Bruce pushed Lana out, spinning her under his arm, completely inappropriately, to make her laugh. "The world does not spin on broken hearts, Lana. Be happy." He caught her expertly, and led her into the next dance, a song Lana remembered from when she lived with Nell. "Here's Lex." He bowed and handed her to Lex, who steered Lana back onto the dance floor.

"Tonight, the light of love is in your eyes,

but will you love me, tomorrow?"

"Will you?" Lex asked, as Lana settled her head over his heart. Both Bruce and Lex must have learned to dance at school, because they were equally excellent. She looked up dreamily at Lex, and smiled.

"Will I what?" She asked, and Lex kissed her forehead.

"Love me tomorrow?" Lex said, "You and Bruce seemed to have hit it off. I've been feeling like a third wheel."

"Oh, Lex." Lana stood on tiptoe and kissed him. Lex, not a big believer in public displays of affection, accepted the kiss and returned it. "I'll love you tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that."

"Good." Lex smiled. "Don't ever forget it. And, because I forgot to tell you earlier, Lana, you look beautiful." Lana smiled, and put her head on his chest, in the place exactly over his heart. What a wonderful evening.

And, watching them from the table, Bruce Wayne chuckled to himself. The game was going splendidly. He just hoped Clark would benefit. He'd call the flightless farmboy and bring him up to speed. For now, Bruce thought as he spotted Vicki Vale, his copper haired sometimes girlfriend, resplendent in emerald green was time to dance.

"Clark, Clark!" Chloe pointed to the television in shock. There, Lana and Bruce Wayne, arm in arm, moving past photographers on their way to the gala.

"Wow." Clark and Chloe said at the same time, looking at each other. They had come back from the Fortress, tired and cold. They had spent the last few days there, in flight practice and learning about Kryptonian history. Friday night was for movies, pizza and ice cream, a Sullivan-Kent tradition in the making.

"Look, there's Lex." Chloe gasped. Lex also moved past the photographers, looking quite annoyed and hurried. "Oh, he looks mad."

"When Bruce said he was going to buy me time, I had no idea he meant by breaking Lex and Lana up." Clark laughed, rumpling his own hair.

"I doubt that's what Bruce has in mind. I'll bet that gala is quite the event." Chloe looked a little sad at first, and then she brightened. "Poor Lana probably doesn't know what hit her." Chloe curtseyed, holding the too large t-shirt she was wearing, and smiled, batting her eyelashes. "You know, this time, this Cinderella is glad to be home from the ball. Prince Charming is right here with me."

Clark pulled her close, and kissed her. "Wait, wait. Mom left out this cd for me. I wanted you to hear this song. It reminded me of us." He put on the cd and came back to Chloe. He took her in his arms. "I owed you a dance from prom. It's not your favorite song, but it's how I feel about you." When the music started, Chloe gasped, and smiled. She knew this song.

"_It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart,_

_Without saying a word, you can light up the dark._

_Try as I may, I could never explain,_

_What I hear, when you don't say a thing._

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me_

_There's a truth in your eyes, saying you'll never leave me._

_The touch of your hand says that you'll catch me, whenever I fall._

_And you say it best, when you say nothing at all."_

And they danced too, in the firelit Kent living room. There was no band, no fancy dinner, just pizza, but Clark and Chloe could not have been happier. It was a great way to end the week._  
_

Saturday. Lionel sat alone in the library of Luthor Manor. Lex had gone off to Gotham City with Ms. Lang, and Lionel relished the quiet. It gave him time to think, which he had not had in quite sometime. Getting Lex to take the bait, goading him into a false need to protect Chloe Sullivan and her little job had been only barely amusing. Lionel didn't want Chloe Sullivan anywhere but working at the Daily Planet. Let her believe whatever she liked – the matter of being trustworthy had long since stopped being a worry for Lionel. Trust was never really an issue. Most business arrangements worked well in spite huge lack of trust on either side. Lionel rubbed his chin, thinking for a moment about the blonde intern/co-ed. Her interview with Bruce Wayne had been intriguing. She was the kind of girl he would have been happy to know in his younger days, talented, cute and ambitious. That Lex had missed his chance, if such a chance had ever really existed, was yet another of Lionel's disappointments in his son. Time was growing short, Lionel thought, sipping at his Scotch, even though it wasn't quite noon. The blackouts were growing worse, and Lionel could barely remember three hours together since Wednesday. He'd have to go to the doctor before long, but Lionel did not hold out much hope. He'd cheated death once, with Clark Kent's help, but this time there would be no second chances.

"Bah," Lionel said, aloud waving his free hand. It didn't matter if he died, not really. Lex would carry on the family name, and business, which was as it should be. Instead, Lionel turned his attention to the society column, and the picture of Bruce Wayne, Lana Lang and Lex at some event last night. Bruce Wayne, with Lana Lang all smiles, looking up at him, and Lex standing attentively at her side, expressionless. Lionel smoothed the newspaper and studied the picture again. A slow, amused smile stretched Lionel's lips. Once again, Lex was the odd man out.

"A game of cat and mouse. Brilliant." Lionel set the newspaper down, chuckling. "I tried to warn you, Lex." Lionel let himself relax. "I only wish I could be there to watch."

But Lionel had an appointment. With the erstwhile Professor Milton Fine. And he had his own game of cat and mouse to play, with higher stakes than the fair hand of Miss Lana Lang. Much, much higher stakes indeed.

It could not have been a better day for the Gotham Harbor Regatta. The sun was bright on the water, and there was a breeze from just the right direction. Glad to let his experienced crew deal with the work of sailing the boat, Bruce lounged in a hammock, as Lex and Lana enjoyed the sail. It had been a long night, Bruce thought, after leaving Lana and Lex at the Planetarium and doing his usual patrol. He had to admit, it was clear what Lex was interested in when it came to Lana. There were a few times so far that Bruce had to remind himself to pull back, that this was all just a ruse to keep Lex occupied, and also to find out how much he actually suspected when it came to Clark. If he came out of all of this with Lana as an ally, that would be okay. It would help him keep tabs on Lex for as long as that particular romance survived. She and Bruce shared the scars of losing both parents traumatically, and it had created enough sympathy between them for any illusion of romance to be very, very convincing. As if she could read his mind, Lana peered at Bruce, her hand shielding her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Lana took a deep breath, relishing the salty air. "This is wonderful! How can you just lie there?"

Bruce stretched languidly, noting Lex's subtle sneer. "Oh, too much champagne, too many pretty women." He sat up a little in the hammock. "Be careful, Lex. The sun is pretty strong out here on the water."

"I'm fine." Lex replied, his eyes hidden by dark sunglasses. He looked up from the official looking report he was reading. "How do you ever get anything done? All this leisure." The criticism was clear, and Bruce closed his eyes, glad that his image of the playboy about town was being etched in Lex's mind indelibly.

"Oh, I'm using company manners." Bruce laughed. "It's back to work, sooner than I'd

like to think. Besides, last night I got back from the party in time to take three calls from Tokyo. So, I'm keeping my hand in."

"Hmm" Lex grunted, and Lana smiled.

"Well, I can't speak for everyone, but I'm having a fabulous time. I can't believe there is a ball tonight too." She seemed to take on a girlish air. "I feel like Scarlett O'Hara."

"Oh, it's a big deal, but I usually don't go." Bruce said, climbing out of the hammock and walking to the brass telescope. "Look, there's my house." He aimed the telescope toward his house, glad the entrance to the Batcave was hidden. Lana came and peered through the telescope. She tried to block out the image of Clark in his barn, with his father's telescope, constantly looking out at the stars. With effort, she could see the graceful lines of Bruce's home. The fact that Bruce often made her think of Clark made Lana feel more kindly disposed toward him. He had most of Clark's good qualities, but so comfortable with himself that he put everyone else at ease. Except Lex, Lana thought, a little annoyed. Lex's mood had been progressively worse since yesterday. She took a deep breath, and peered at Wayne Manor again. 

"It's lovely. You live there all alone?" Lana asked, not looking away from the image of the house on the cliff. Everything about Bruce was a little lonely, even when he was being his most charming, Lana had seen that immediately.

"Alfred lives with me." Bruce said simply. "The cook and other help come in daily. It's easier."

"It must have been hard, living in that house alone as a child." Lana said, looking up at him over the telescope. "Lonely."

"Sometimes. My uncle came to live with me at first, and to helm Wayne Industries until I came of age. But he died a few years after my parents, and then, it was just Alfred and I." Bruce turned and pointed. "There's the mayor's mansion. Usually, I can watch the Anniversary Day fireworks from home, but this year." He looked back at Lana. "It seems only right that I go."

"Why is that?" Lex asked, looking at them over his sunglasses.

"Because how can I show you Gotham City at it's best if I stay home?" Bruce raised an eyebrow. "But, if you would rather not go, then I'm sure I can amuse myself at home, reading, putting together model airplanes, you know."

"What's the story with this Batman?" Lex asked, getting up to join Bruce and Lana by the telescope. "He's a one man crime fighting force. I might want to hire him for security at my place in Smallville." He put his arm around Lana, watching Bruce's face.

"I know what you know." Bruce replied neutrally. "I know that there are a lot of people in Gotham that would love to know more about him. I owe him myself – saved a shipment of medical supplies from being hijacked."

"Incredible." Lex said, "Gotham City's own superhero. No one is concerned about this guy getting out of control?"

Bruce shrugged. "I'm not the commissioner of police, Lex. He'll be at the ball tonight, so you could ask him. I'm sure he'll be glad to fill you in." Bruce turned to Lana. "Did the gown come?"

"Yes." Lana's face lit up. "Perfect. It's actually Lex's favorite color."

"Really?" Bruce asked, glad his guess of Lex's aspirations extending even to claiming the color purple. "I had it charged to Lex, so I guess that's only fair." When Lana giggled, Bruce turned to Lex. "No hard feelings, right Lex?"

"No, none at all." Lex smiled at his old schoolmate. There were very definitely hard feelings, but Lex was willing to let them go. Business deals with Wayne Industries would only mean better PR for LuthorCorp. There was no room for letting emotion get in the way. "Lana will be beautiful in it, and that's all that matters to me."

"Good job, Smallville." Lois stood in the Kent kitchen, holding a dead plant. "Of all my plants, I have four left. What did you do, put them in the oven instead of watering them?" Her foot tapped impatiently on the floor. "I asked you for one teeny tiny favor."

"Lois." Clark sighed. "I'm really, really sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Tell that to Polly." Lois held the dead plant out to Clark. "I'm sorry just won't bring her back."

Chloe stood, watching the scene, holding back giggles. Lois was in top form, and Clark, unable to explain why he'd forgotten the plants, couldn't think up a plausible excuse, so he just sputtered. Lois turned and fixed a steely glare at Chloe.

"And you, blood of my blood. You participated in this MURDER." Lois slammed the plant on the counter. "Just see if I do either of you any favors anytime soon."

"Lois." Chloe held out her hands, "Come on. Let's go to the nursery. My treat." It meant not going to the Fortress today, but Chloe had to admit, she needed a break from sitting on ice for awhile. She looked over at Clark, who nodded eagerly.

"Well." Lois folded her arms, tipping her head to the side and studied Clark and Chloe, while she considered her cousin's offer. "HE has to buy me new violets."

"Done." Glad to get rid of Lois, Clark took out his wallet, which Lois snatched from him. She pulled out what little cash he had there, handed the wallet back, and smiled. "Help yourself, Lois."

"You got off easy. Murder is a capital offense." Lois sneered, stuffing the bills in her pocket. "Come on, Chloe." Lois turned majestically to leave, her hair swinging around her shoulders. Chloe shrugged, blew Clark a kiss and started to walk out behind her cousin. Abruptly, Lois turned, stomped back into the kitchen, and grabbed the dead plant from the counter. "Your mother will hear about this, Smallville. Make no mistake. And I'll get even, with you." She said as she walked out with Chloe, and Clark watched them go.

"Bye, Lois." Clark waved, and Lois yelled back at him as she got into her car.

"I'll get you, Smallville. You and your little dog, too." She finally smiled; tantrum over, and Chloe laughed out loud. Clark blew her a kiss, and he could hear Chloe whisper that she'd catch up with him later. He waved again in acknowledgement and watched them drive off to replace Lois' depleted plant family.

Turning away from the window, Clark found himself thinking of his birth mother, Lara. He'd been dreaming about her for weeks, and since his run in with the kryptonite serum Lana had been trying to use to see her dead parents, the dreams had gotten more powerful.

In the dream, Lara showed him a glowing, opalescent crystal, oblong, and shimmering. Clark could see the crystal being placed in the ship that brought him to Earth, but could not recall ever seeing it.

"_Find the key, Star-Child. Find the key and you will have the power to send the artificial life form to the Phantom Zone. It is your right to wield that power, Kal-El. Find the key."_ Lara's voice was softly urgent. _"The key will protect you from the evils to come, my son."_

Having dreamt the same dream, over and over again, Clark was sure that it had to be more than just a dream. But where to start looking? He looked out the back door, toward where the old storm cellar had been. It was time to dig. A sound, like chimes rang in Clark's ears – not unlike the sounds he had heard when the ship and portal keys had called out to him, but more pleasant. He paused, hand on the door. The sound was coming from inside the house. In moments, Clark found the crystal, locked in his grandmother's antique desk. It glowed when he touched it, and Clark felt renewed, strengthened just having it in hand. There was a flash of light, and Clark felt himself being pulled through time and space. When things became normal again, Clark looked around. The Fortress.

"_Kal-El."_ Lara's soft voice caressed Clark, and he turned in the direction it came from. There she stood, in robes of shimmering color, and she smiled at him. _"At last."_

"How is this possible?" Clark asked. "I can't see Jor-El when I'm here."

"My son. I wish I could answer all of your questions. As things are, I can only answer a few. You and the world you have embraced as your home are in terrible danger."

"Lara, I know…Dr. Fine, and someone named Zod."

"_The crystal you hold in your hand will open the Phantom Zone, the ultimate punishment of our kind." _Lara instructed. _"You must keep it safe, always. The servant of Zod already is on the move, planning his next attempt to free his master.. Be vigilant."_

"_NO!" _Jor-El's voice boomed across the empty Fortress. Clark flinched, but the hologram of Lara did not. She calmly looked in the direction of Jor-El's voice.

"You do not know what you have done, Lara-El."

"_I know I have given my son a weapon to use against the servant of Zod." _ Lara's smile vanished. She turned to Clark. _"Do not return here until the servant of Zod is stopped, Kal-El. This place is not safe. The voice you know as your fathers is not Jor-El. You must believe me."_

"_Treason!" _Jor-El shouted, making ice fall.

"_Go, Kal-El." _Lara said, and she smiled at Clark again. "_My love goes with you, always." _

"I don't understand!" Clark yelled, but it was too late. He was being sucked back through the vortex of time. Lara was gone. Clark stood in his kitchen and hung his head. Suddenly, in his mind, he heard Lara's voice.

"_Kal-El. Your Fortress of Solitude has been corrupted. I am not entirely certain how long Zod has been communicating with you, pretending to be Jor-El. " _Clark was reminded of every pain that had been inflicted by 'Jor-El' over the years. Could it be true?

"_Your father was the kindest, most honest man I have ever known."_ Lara began "_Together we planned your escape from Krypton. This crystal you now possess should have been the first you found, but it was not. I do not know how long Zod has masqueraded as your father, but I must help you now, as best I can." _

"How could you know that he is Zod?" Clark's mind barely grasping the information he was hearing. Jonathan's death, his illness – as far back as that – could it have been Zod pulling the strings the whole time? Was it possible?

"Your father programmed the crystal himself. When I heard the cries of protest, I knew it was not Jor-El." She said plainly. "When this crisis is past, my son, all of my history is also in this crystal, your father's story and mine. These will be imparted to you once you are safe again. Jor-El is present, somewhere on your planet, and you must find him so things can be put right."

"But I've spoken to him, he helped me to fly. He's been teaching Chloe Kryptonian." Clark exclaimed.

"_I do not doubt that Jor-El is sometimes able to break through his imprisonment and speak with you, Kal-El. But until Zod and his servant are defeated, you are not safe, neither is the Daughter of Earth you call Chloe, or what remains of Jor-El."_ Lara's voice was full of pain. _"We must find the vessel that holds Jor-El, Kal-El. If the servant of Zod gets to it first, all will surely be lost."_

Lana turned, studying her reflection in the triple pane mirror. The gown Bruce had sent over for her was absolutely perfect. There was nothing young or girlish about it, Lana smiled, smoothing the boned bodice that hugged her waist, and admiring the straight fall of the skirt, which ended in a small, subtle train. It reminded Lana of Paris – elegant, spare and classic. Everything about this life, the whirl of the social scene in Gotham City was exciting. Lex kept out of the social scene in Metropolis, unless it was something he was interested in, like the Opera Benefit, or some other charity event. Lana made a mental note to encourage him to participate more. It was amazing to dance the night away in beautiful clothes, talking to people who had been everywhere, seen everything. If only Aunt Nell could see her now, Lana thought of her ambitious relative and grinned.

"You take my breath away." Lex stood in the doorway of Lana's room. He was dressed for the Bicentennial Ball, and Lana smiled at him. "Bruce certainly knew what he was doing, picking out that gown." Lex smiled bitterly.

"Lex, it's exactly what I would have picked." Lana said with an excited smile. "It's your favorite color."

"I would have dressed you in white. Or pink." Lex's voice was somber. "There would have been miles of skirt, like a princess." He looked her over, his eyes full of regret. "You're all grown up."

"I hope so. I can't be Creamed Corn Princess forever." Lana said, laughing. "Lex, what's wrong?" She went to him. "Why are you so unhappy?"

"This has all been fun, Lana, like a dream. But don't you think we need to get back to real life? What about our research? Have you forgotten how important it is?" He rested his hands on her shoulders. "You let Wayne turn you into an empty headed debutante. Where's my Lana?"

Lana pulled away, her face angry. "I'm here, Lex. I came on this trip with you because you asked me. I made friends with Bruce Wayne to help you – so that I could be the kind of person who exists in your world. As for our research," Lana folded her arms over her chest, disregarding the delicate silk of her gown. "I don't think a few days away from it will hurt. And the last thing I am is an empty-headed debutante."

"This isn't who we are." Lex said, "This isn't the life we have in Smallville. There are more important things to be done, greater things."

"There's nothing wrong with this life, for a few days, Lex." Lana sighed. "Tuesday it will all be over. But, you know what? We won't go tonight. We'll stay here and work on our project, and forget it." Lana turned away and walked back to the dressing table in her room. With a sigh, she reached up to take off the necklace Lex had loaned her, a heavy amethyst and diamond garland that had been his grandmothers.

"You do look amazing." Lex admitted grudgingly. "My maternal grandmother never looked as gorgeous in those jewels as you do."

"Thank you." Lana struggled with the clasp. Frustrated, she stopped what she was doing and stood still. She could hear his muffled footfalls on the heavy carpeting, and then, Lex kissed her just where her shoulders met her neck, under the clasp of the necklace. Still angry, Lana felt a delicious thrill race through up her spine in spite of herself. She did not pull away, and Lex put his hand at her waist, drawing her slightly closer.

"Seems a shame to waste that gown." Lex said from behind Lana, his mouth traveling up to her ear. "We could still go."

Lana turned, and looked at Lex. "We can go? No sulking, no moping, no doing work at the table instead of dancing with me?" Her face was very serious. "And you'll try to enjoy yourself the rest of the trip? "

"I promise." Lex purred, and Lana smiled, putting her arms around him. Men were so easy.


	6. Reality & Revelations

Chloe and Martha sat at the Kent kitchen table, stunned. They stared at the crystal, which glowed in opalescent glory. Clark had just told them about the Fortress, and Zod.

Martha spoke first. "It all seems like a bad dream. All this time we thought we were dealing with Jor-El, and he was bad enough, and now you're telling me that this Zod person, whoever he is – will be a thousand times worse? That it was Zod toying with our family all these years?" Her eyes filled with tears. "Your poor father…his heart…"

"I know, Mom." Clark's face was set in stony lines. "Just one more reason for me to stop Zod from completely breaking free. And, if Lara is right, then the real Jor-El needs me too. I couldn't save Dad, but I can try to save him."

"But how do you find a dead Kryptonian scientist?" Chloe asked. "Who is the servant of Zod?" She took Martha's hand, and looked up at Clark. "Did Lara give you any ideas?"

"No." Clark shook his head. "Mom, Lara said this crystal was the first one I was supposed to have. When I hold it, I feel her and I can hear her speaking to me. I found it locked in Grandmother Clark's desk. Why didn't you or Dad tell me about this?"

"Your father locked it away when we first brought you home. He found it under the ship." Martha replied, looking at Clark. "He was afraid it might hurt you, and then, as all other Kryptonian artifacts came to light, we were really unsure what to do. We planned to give it to you, Clark, but then your dad died…"Martha sobbed.

"It's okay, Mrs. Kent." Chloe put her arm around Martha. "Clark, what about your Professor Fine?"

"He did say he was Kryptonian." Clark said thoughtfully. "It's probably as good a place as any to start."

"Lionel is the one that told me to look for Fine in Honduras. Maybe Lionel has figured out how to trail a Kryptonian on the move." Chloe stood, and Martha rose as well. "Let's go talk with Lionel Luthor."

"I'm going with you." Martha wiped her eyes. "If Lionel is party to any of this, I want to know, now."

"Mom, it's probably not safe. I think you should stay." Clark said, and Martha shook her head.

"No, Clark. Lionel has been staying close to me. I thought he was trying to help, but if he's been trying to get information to hurt you, I want to know about it." She smiled. "You are the most important thing in my life. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Clark looked at his mother. There was no changing her mind when she had made a decision, so with a nod, he gave in. He took the crystal and put it into his pocket. There was no knowing if he would need it.

Milton Fine stood outside the Luthor Mansion, waiting. Kal-El, Martha Kent and Chloe Sullivan had all gone into the house, looking for Lionel Luthor. The human had been imprinted with crucial codes necessary to open the Phantom Zone once and for all – releasing Zod and his other disciples who had been banished with him. The humans had so clumsily handled the Kryptonian stones, the keys, and the ships – Zod and his bitter enemy, Jor-El were locked in a struggle to be free. Fine was determined that Zod be victorious. But he could wait.

"Lionel!" Clark called out, scanning the house for any sign of Lex's father. A ringing sound, like the one given off by the crystal in his pocket, made Clark turn, and head down the hallway.

"Clark! Where are you going?" Chloe called after him. "We have to find Lionel!"

"I'm heading to Lex's trophy room, Chloe. Keep looking for Lionel." Clark replied. "And stay with Mom." Chloe nodded and darted back in the study with Martha.

The room to Lex's Clark Kent trophy room was open. Clark pushed the door open cautiously and called out, "Lionel?"

Not getting an answer, he walked into the room, looking around. Display cases had been smashed, items torn or destroyed. Glass crunched under foot as Clark looked around the room. The ringing sound got louder, and Clark looked up and into his own face. He tried to look through the wall, and could see nothing but a lead panel.

"He installed that, just recently." Lionel said, appearing from nowhere. "Kal-El, you will not find what you are seeking behind that picture."

"Why are you calling me Kal-El, Lionel?" Clark turned around. "How do you know that name?"

"I have been given incredible knowledge, Kal-El. And I will keep your secret." Lionel nodded. "You need only ask, and I will answer what I can."

"What is in this safe, Lionel?" Clark asked, and Lionel shrugged, his face giving nothing away.

"Who knows? With Lex, and this impossible collection, it could be your bronzed baby shoes. Has your mother ever mentioned that they were missing, Kal-El?" Lionel laughed lightly. What you seek is there, " Lionel pointed to a large suit of armor.

Clark scanned the armor. Another secret room was behind the armor – and in it, impossibly, Clark's small ship.

"The map to finding Jor-El is there, in your ship. He was always with you, Kal-El. But the ship was also a conduit for Zod." Lionel said, and Clark knew this was true.

"You know in your heart that I am right."

"I do." Clark went to the armor and looked for a way into the room. "How do I get in?"

"You hold the key." Lionel replied matter of factly. "Take the key in your hand."

Clark felt the crystal grow warm in his pocket. He put his hand around it and pulled his hand from his pocket. The wall vanished, and the small ship appeared, gliding silently from it's resting place. There was plenty of evidence that Clark had tried to destroy it years ago, scorch marks from the octagonal keyhole across the whole body of the ship. Responding to the crystal, the hatch of the small ship opened.

"_My son." _The air breathed the words, and Clark could barely hear them. "Kal-El – Clark…" This voice, Clark recognized in the deepest roots of his memory. Jor-El.

"Father!" Clark called out, and he could hear Lara's voice speaking in his head.

"There is no time, Kal-El. Touch the crystal to the ship. The servant of Zod approaches and your father and I need to be unified to help you."

Clark brought the crystal to the prow of the ship, and before he could make contact, he felt himself slammed out of the way. He flew back into one of the broken display cases, and saw Fine, prowling around the ship.

"Where is it, Kal-El? Where is the key?" Fine growled, running his hand over the smooth surface. Clark looked down and quickly shoved the crystal in his pocket. "How did you open this ship without the key?" He turned and scanned Clark quickly. "The octagonal piece of metal. Where is it?"

"I have it." Lionel said, his voice flat. "But it is hidden, far away from here."

"Take me." Fine grabbed Lionel and as fast as light, was gone.

"It is still not too late, my son." Jor-El's voice was weary. "The key. Take the key and touch the ship with it." Clark walked across the room, and brought the crystal to the front of the ship. In a blinding flash of light, Clark was knocked backward again.

"It is done." Jor-El and Lara-El said in unison. "Arise, Kal-El." Clark stood, and the small ship was gone. On the floor, in its place was a silver panel, roughly the same shape as the ship. Clark stooped and picked it up. On one side, Kryptonian symbols were etched into the shape of the symbol Clark recognized as his family letter, EL.

The other side was blank, mirror smooth.

"Where's Lionel?" Clark asked. "And what is this?"

"He is misleading the servant of Zod, to give you the time you need." Jor-El said, and Lara completed the answer "The other is my gift to you, Kal-El. It will defend you against Zod, when he comes."

"Clark!" Martha and Chloe appeared in the doorway, out of breath. "Did you find Lionel?" Their faces were a study in horror as they surveyed the damage around Clark.

"Yes, but he's gone." Clark looked around at the debris. "But Jor-El is safe, for now."

"Are you okay?" Chloe went to Clark, stepping over the shattered wood frames that had held some of the things Lex had collected of Clark's

"I'm fine." Clark put his arm around Chloe. "We have to find Lionel, now."

When Bruce Wayne finally appeared at the Ball, it was close to midnight, and everyone was on the terrace, waiting for the grand fireworks to begin. The news from Clark had not been particularly encouraging, Bruce thought, mentally reviewing Dr. Swann's research again. However, Clark had learned to fly, and Bruce had to admit, that was a pretty good start. As Bruce made his way to the terrace, he spotted Lex standing alone at the bar, brandy in hand.

"Lex. What are you doing in here? The big show is outside." Bruce clasped Lex on the arm in greeting. "Sorry I got held up."

"It's fine." Lex said. "Taking care of business?"

"Something like that – an old college friend called, family trouble. Where's Lana?"

Bruce asked, looking around for her.

"Outside with the Mayor's daughter." Lex gestured. "Just home from Smith, or Bryn Mawr, I forget which." Lex made a bitter face. "She's moving in quite elevated company since we've come to Gotham City. I'm afraid Smallville and Metropolis are just going to be quite provincial after this."

"No." Bruce said. "She'll be glad to get back to your usual routine. Besides, you can't take a girl from a small town and expect her to not be excited by all of this." He gestured around the room. "You move in some exalted company in Metropolis. Isn't it better that Lana has been prepared for it a little? Those opera snobs in Metropolis can be heartless." Bruce sipped his drink, and Lex nodded, smiling a little.

"About Lana." Lex said, after a moment. "What are your intentions toward my girlfriend, Bruce?"

"My intentions? Toward Lana?" Bruce laughed. 'I don't have any, except maybe be her friend. You do know that men and women can be friends without it getting all romantic, right, Lex?"

"Really?" Lex walked over to the pair of crossed swords that hung over the massive fireplace in the ballroom. "Picking out gowns, telling tragic stories of your lonely childhood. If I didn't know better, Bruce, I'd say you were flirting with her."

"Right. How much brandy HAVE you had tonight, Lex?" Bruce sipped his punch. "I like Lana. She's a nice kid, in way over her head in society. I'm just trying to help her fit in – giving her a hand up."

"Bruce Wayne, man of the people." Lex said, reached for one of the swords and took it down. "Bruce Wayne, philanthropist and playboy." The sword cut the air with a hiss. "Bruce Wayne, liar and seducer." The sword swung again, and lightning fast, Bruce was out of the way.

"Lex, you are drunk." Bruce smiled, the smile he reserved for under his Batman mask. "Come on, old boy. Put the sword down. I don't want Lana."

'DON'T." The sword flashed in Lex's hands. "WANT." His grey eyes glinted in the candlelight, as if made of steel. "LANA." His teeth gritted together on the last word. "LIAR!"

"No." Bruce replied, moving toward the fireplace and the other sword. "But, if a duel will settle your mind, then," The other sword was in Bruce's hand, and he faced Lex coldly. "Let's do this."

"Damn you." Lex said, throwing the brandy glass to the floor, where it shattered into a million sparkling pieces. The swords crossed as the orchestra began to play the overture for the fireworks show. "Damn you and your sailboats and your Planetarium, and your mansion on the water." Lex lunged, and Bruce deflected the blow easily. Keep your cool, Bruce told himself. This is fencing practice at Excelsior, not a night with Ra's A Ghul. And, Lex was drunk.

"Lex, you aren't yourself. Why would I want Lana? She's obviously in love with you." Bruce parried, and found himself impressed with Lex's command of fencing, despite the alcohol he had consumed.

"Seducing her, luring her with hotdogs and baseball." Lex snarled, and they stood, swords crossed again. Both men stood there, staring into each others eyes, neither noticing that Lana had come into the ballroom to find them. She stood there, watching in the shadow of the drapes, horrified. They fought viciously and in silence, neither gaining any particular ground, and Lana realized with some relief that Bruce was trying to tire Lex out, not to beat him. Finally, the men stopped, the orchestra winding down. They stood there, a few feet apart, a blade's distance.

"Doing everything you can to lure her away from me." Lex said, weakly.

"Making her feel welcome in a world she's never been exposed to. Lex!" Bruce

dropped his sword, and grabbed Lex by the shoulders. "She loves you. "

"She loved someone else, before me. Loved him her whole life. I came in, like you, overwhelmed her, turned her head. How do I know?" Lex looked at Bruce, "How do I know?" He lowered his sword, breathing hard. "There's too much at stake if I lose her, Bruce."

Bruce dropped his head. He heard a light step on the wooden floor. Lana.

"Look, Lex." Bruce took the sword from Lex's hand, and tossed it aside. "It's been a long day, all that sun this morning, and the vat of brandy you must have had tonight. Why don't you let my driver get you back to the hotel? Tomorrow, we'll have brunch at my place, play some pool, go over the old Exclesior yearbooks." Bruce put his arm around Lex's shoulder. "Come on. I'll get you home." Bruce looked over his shoulder and waved to Lana to follow him. She came up to Lex and took his hand.

"Lana." Lex smiled. "I'm going home, back to the hotel. Not feeling so good – Bruce is right. Too much sun, too much brandy. You stay. Bruce will bring you home." Lex looked at his old schoolmate. "Still good with a sword, Bruce. Still good."

"I'll go with you." Lana said, gathering her wrap and bag. "You shouldn't be alone, Lex."

"I'll go back with both of you." Bruce said, putting Lex over his shoulder. "Not a good idea for either of you to be alone tonight."

Back at the hotel, Bruce got Lex settled in bed, and then came out into the living room area of the suite. Lana had changed out of her gown while Bruce was in the other room, looking very young in a big t-shirt and leggings. Her face was innocent of makeup, and she had undone the elegant french twist she had worn for the ball, letting her hair spill around her shoulders.

"He's out like a light." Bruce said, undoing his tie and sitting down in the armchair furthest from Lana's perch on the couch. "You should sleep, too."

"And what about you?" Lana asked with a small laugh. "Don't you sleep?"

"Not that much." Bruce said, leaning forward. "Look, Lana, about tonight…"

"No, it's okay." Lana smiled. "I heard most of it, I think. The rest I can guess."

"Good." Bruce replied, "I don't want there to be any more mixed signals this weekend."

"I'm glad we met, Bruce." Lana said softly, fiddling with the edge of a throw pillow. "You are a good friend."

Bruce stood. "See you tomorrow, okay? My house, 12:00. Brunch, and guy stuff. You bring a book." He leaned over and kissed the top of Lana's head, like an older brother might. "Get some sleep."

"You too." Lana looked up. "Bruce?"

"Yes, Lana?" He did not turn around. He knew Lex was listening at the door.

"Lex loves me." She said simply, and then sighed.

"Do you love him, Lana? That's really the question. Because if you don't, and you are still getting over the guy before Lex, it's going to cause no end of trouble. Take it from me, there's nothing wrong with being alone, if you need to be. Be with Lex, but be with him for the right reasons, and with your eyes open." Bruce turned, hearing Lana sob.

"I do love him, Bruce." She said, wiping her eyes. "How could I not?"

Bruce sensed Lex's relieved exhalation of breath. "Then you know the answer. Good night, Lana. See you for brunch." He smiled and walked toward the door.

"Good night, Bruce." Lana replied, staring off into the empty, dark fireplace. It would be nearly dawn before Lana fell asleep. There was too much to think about, and an almost overpowering feeling of trouble ahead.

"Master Bruce," Bruce heard Alfred's voice, breaking through his dreams. "Master Bruce, it's Chloe Sullivan. She says it's urgent."

"What time is it, Alfred?" Bruce took the phone from his faithful guardian with a yawn.

"2 a.m, sir. I am so sorry." Alfred shook his head. "You had just fallen asleep, but Miss Sullivan was quite insistent."

Bruce cleared his throat. "Chloe, what's wrong?

"Bruce, things have just gone from bad to worse. Lionel Luthor is missing." Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled. Back at the Kent farm, Clark was busily packing a backpack, talking to his mother in hushed tones. "Clark is going to look for him."

"Missing?" Bruce sat up more, and turned off the light. Some things were better talked about in the dark. "When?"

"Tonight. Bruce, it's a long story, but someone named Milton Fine kidnapped him. He's dangerous, Bruce." Chloe rolled her eyes. "You didn't go back to sleep, did you?"

"No.' Bruce replied, dialing Lex's suite on his cell. "I'm calling Lex Luthor. We'll be in Smallville by four. Tell Clark I want him to stay put. Chloe…." Bruce paused. "You call Lana and tell her exactly what I tell you. NOW."

"Okay." After a minute, Chloe hung up. Martha Kent was standing nearby, her eyes wide in her shock-pale face.

"What did he say?" Martha asked, a little in awe. "Is he coming?"

"Yes." Chloe sighed. "He's bringing Lex and Lana home now."

Clark turned. "Bruce is coming?" He and Chloe had a silent conversation with their eyes that Martha only barely understood, but recognized immediately. Most couples in love had them, and Martha smiled, in spite of herself, and the severity of the situation.

"He said he'll be here at 4. With Lex. Oh God. I have to call Lana." Chloe dialed, and waited. When Lana answered, Chloe turned her back and walked away, pacing the kitchen.

"You can't do this alone, Clark." Martha put her hand on his shoulder. "If Bruce Wayne knows your secret, then maybe he can help. Whatever that thing was, you can't handle it alone. And Lex." She shook her head. "Whatever his relationship with his father, he needs to be here."

"I know, Mom." Clark zipped his backpack. "I'm going to the airport. Keep Chloe with you. This is too dangerous for either of you." He felt the crystal grow warm in his pocket. Clark pulled the glowing prism from his pocket, and heard the voice of his mother in his head.

"The Daughter of Earth must remain behind. Leave her the crystal." Lara's voice was soft. "It will not harm her – and she will need to know all I can impart to her before her part in this comes."

"She is in no danger, Kal-El." Jor-El added, "The crystal will keep the servant of Zod from harming her. You must take the shield with you, Kal-El. "

"I'm trusting your advice, Jor-El." Clark muttered. "But how will I hear you if I need you?"

"We are with you." Jor-El and Lara said in unison. "The shield will act as a transmitter. As Zod was able to use Kryptonian objects to speak to you from the Phantom Zone, so is our technology able to communicate with you. It will be limited, Kal-El." Jor-El had continued, and Clark recognized the same tone in Jor-El's voice that he might have heard from Jonathan; fatherly concern. "It is imperative that you follow every direction, exactly as I tell you. The weaknesses in the Phantom Zone portal will not be healed if you do not."

"I understand." Clark watched Chloe as she spoke to Lana, and then hung up. She was too precious to risk, and already so in danger, just by knowing his secret. Clark remembered his pang at the thought of how delicate the human beings around him were. Even Bruce Wayne, who had made himself more than human, was still as fragile as Chloe. Clark could not bear thinking about another life being taken because of a Kryptonian. Zod would have enough to answer for already.

"Do not attempt to stop Zod without your allies." Lara said, snapping Clark from his nearly complete plan to leave alone. "The Son of the Eastern Earth will be invaluable to you. And the son of the missing man, he must be with you. This is not to be changed, Kal-El."

"I can't risk losing any of them. Gotham City needs Bruce Wayne…and Lex…" Clark hesitated.

"Needs to rescue his father." Jor-El finished. "I have dwelled within this Son of Earth from time to time – his only son needs to be the one to free him. The one from the East will deal with the servant of Zod. You must face Zod. You are the last Son of Krypton, scion of the house of El." As if sensing Clark's unspoken protest. "Do not defy us, Kal-El, I ask this, having no way to earn your trust. I ask you to obey me, so that you may preserve your life."

Clark sighed. If he had any doubt about Jor-El, it was gone. There was no denying it, this was really the father who had sent his son to Earth, the father who had chosen Hiram Kents son to raise the last child of Krypton. Clark squared his shoulders, and went to Chloe. She had hung up the phone and had pulled out her laptop, actively searching for something, anything for a lead on Lionel. Clark felt his heart fill with love for her, so full it felt like it would burst.

"Chloe," He touched her shoulder. "I need you to stay, with Mom, with Lana." Taking her hand, Clark led her outside on to the porch.

"Clark, you can't be serious. You can't face this alone…" Chloe shook her head, and then searched his face. "This isn't negotiable, is it? You've made your mind up already."

"I have to go with Bruce and Lex. You need to stay. Keep this." Clark pressed Lara's crystal into Chloe's hand. It pulsed red, blue, yellow and then softly glowed white. "If Fine comes for you, that will keep him away."

"I don't like this." Chloe looked down at the crystal. She held it out to him. "Take it back. You're going to need it. Don't be stupid, Clark."

"I'm not being stupid." Clark pulled her close. "I've got the shield, and I won't be alone. I need you to protect Mom, and Lana. I need you to listen, if Lara or Jor-El try to communicate with you through the crystal." He tipped her face toward his and smiled. "I need you to be here when I get back. Okay, Chloe?"

"Clark." Chloe whispered, tears choking the word in her throat. "I only just got you. Come back to me." She stood on tip toe and kissed him hard, her arms pulling him closer to her. Groaning, Clark wrapped his arms around her tighter. If he could not take all of her with him, he would take her scent, the memory of her lips on his. Vaguely, as if from very far away, Clark could hear his cell phone ringing.

"Clark?" Martha's voice drifted to them from the open window. "It's Bruce Wayne."

Bruce had gone to the hotel immediately, throwing on clothes and taking some essentials. He found Lana dressed and ready, her face pale and resolute. Lex also, was ready, and on the phone with the Smallville Sheriffs Department. The experimental jet was ready at the airstrip. As much as Bruce hated to let Lex Luthor anywhere near the stealth jet, there wasn't much choice. Lex's jet was fueled and on instructions to follow, Bruce made the calls on his way over to the hotel and then called Clark to make sure he was waiting for them.

"Bruce." Lex snapped his phone shut. "Thanks for coming." Lex looked sober, as a judge, Bruce noticed, wondering how much of Lex's drunkenness earlier had been an act.

"Don't mention it. Chloe called me, asked for a favor. I'll have you back in Smallville in an hour." Bruce shook Lex's hand. "You up for a fast flight?"

"I'll have to rough it, if I'm not." Lex replied. "Lana?"

"I'll just be glad to get home." Lana said, roughly braiding her hair to get it out of her face.

"Okay." Bruce looked at his watch. "Let's get this show on the road."

"You have hidden the key here?" Fine asked, as Lionel opened the large safe. "I do not sense its presence."

"I have it in a lead lined box." Lionel replied, intentionally misdialing the combination of the safe. "Your kind has a little problem seeing through lead. I find that extremely interesting." He had come back to himself somewhere between Smallville and Glasgow, remembering that he had taken an ancient longsword to Lex's Clark Kent Museum. He had gone blank when he discovered the lead panel in the wall, and was unable to pry it loose. There was a moment where he had hoped Clark would open it, but the untimely arrival of Professor Fine had dashed Lionel's anticipation of an answer, temporarily. Now, standing in the vault of the Swiss bank where Lionel kept all of his specially prized items, he was hard pressed to recall ever being here before. The need to stall for time had not left him, somehow, it seemed vitally important that Fine not get what he was looking for. And Lionel knew exactly what to give him.

"You find Kryptonians interesting?" Fine's face was emotionless. "How odd."

"No, I do." Lionel said sincerely. "It's not every day a humble Earth man such as myself meets a being from an advanced planet." But you aren't really a being, are you? Lionel thought to himself, remembering the security footage of Fine, rising from a puddle of ooze under the ship. "Is all of your kind like you?"

"I am one." Fine answered. "The only creation of a genius. Given as a gift to the greatest leader our world would have ever known."

Lionel's fingers slipped again, turning the tumbler just slightly too much to the left. "I imagine you were devastated when your leader was killed."

"He did not die." Fine replied, looking around the vault. "There is a great deal of Earth currency here. This place will please Zod."

"It should." Lionel laughed bitterly. "It pleased Hitler when he stored the plunder of his mass murders here. Several tyrants and dictators have left their legacies here." Scrambling the tumbler again, Lionel restarted the combination sequence again. Easy enough to remember, Lillian's age when she died, Lex's age when he betrayed Lionel and sent him to jail, his own age when he was cured from his kidney failure. Just beyond the heavy lead door, lay two choices. One would free this Zod from the prison he languished in, the other, Lionel wasn't entirely sure what it would do, but whatever it did, it would buy Clark Kent and Lex time to find him, to figure out where he was and what was at stake. Lionel turned the tumbler again. It would just be a game of cat and mouse. And he was good at that.

They met Bruce, Lana and Lex at the Smallville airport. It was exactly 4 a.m.

"Bruce," Clark walked up to Bruce and shook his hand. "It's good to see you."

"Same here, kid." Bruce smiled. "Chloe." He took her hand. "You okay?"

"I guess. What a night." She smiled wanly. "This is all very unreal."

"You can say that again." Lana appeared at the open hatch. "A nightmare." She smiled at Chloe. "Thanks for being here, Chloe."

"Mrs. Kent is waiting at the farm for us, Lana." Chloe offered, "So we can play the waiting game."

"No.' Lana set her bag on the tarmac. "I'm going. Lex, if this is about the spaceship…"

Lex gave her a warning glance, but she shook her head. "There's too much at stake to play games, Lex. Professor Fine is after the ship that landed during the second meteor shower. We thought he was with the government, but now…"Lana looked from Bruce to Clark. "Just help us find Lionel. If Fine is desperate enough to kidnap Lionel, I don't know what he'll do."

"We will" Bruce replied, looking at Clark. He was watching Lex, who had not said a word. Clark seemed to be waiting for Lex to say something, anything, and when he did not, Clark put a gentle hand on Lana's shoulder.

"Whatever you and Lex have been working on, Lana, has got to take a back seat. It's important that you and Chloe stay out of danger. Isn't that right, Lex?" Clark looked back over at Lex, and Bruce could see the struggle going on in Lex's mind.

"I'm sorry, Lana, but you heard Clark." Lex answered smoothly. The veneer of politeness had slid across his face, and Bruce wanted to slap him. "It's too dangerous."

She walked to Lex, and looked up at him with silent pleading.

"Lana. I can't risk you. Stay with Chloe. I'll call you as soon as I know something." Lex hugged her tightly. "It's going to be okay."

"I know." Lana said, looking back up at him. Reading his thoughts. "Clark only wants to help, Lex. I want him to help." She turned his face to hers. "It doesn't matter what you suspect of him, Lex. Clark has been your friend for a long time. It's only right that you put aside your differences in a time of crisis."

"Lana." Lex started to argue, but he could see there would be no winning. If forced to choose, Lana would choose for Clark to be there, or she would go herself. "I love you, Lana."

"I love you too." Lana smiled. "Don't forget again."

Clark turned to Chloe. She had been watching Lex and Lana say their goodbyes with an expression of absolute disbelief. " Chloe, take care of Mom." He took her in his arms. "and Lana." He kissed her hair, breathing her in.

"You are coming back, right?" Her voice was small and muffled against his shirt. "I'll come looking for you." Chloe made a brave face. "I'll find you, you know."

Clark laughed softly. "I'll count on that, Chloe. If anyone could do it, I know you could."

He smiled down at her and Chloe felt her heart stop and her breath freeze in her lungs. "I will come back. I promise."

Tears stung her eyes, and she pushed her face into his chest. "You have to. Clark."

They kissed, and Clark could taste her tears, salty and hot. He had to let go of her, had to release her from his embrace. "I love you, Chloe."

"I love you, you big dumb…stupidhead." Chloe sniffled loudly, wiping her nose on her sleeve. She took a step back, out of his arms. "Go. Go, Clark." She pushed him once, and then took Lana's hand. The other girl had been crying too, and Lana waved gently to Lex, who waved back, blowing her a kiss.

"Okay, if the fond farewells are done, let's get this rescue mission underway." Bruce said, as Clark hopped into the stealth jet and pulled the hatch shut. "Lex, take the co-pilot seat. I'm going to need you to navigate. Where would your father keep his most valuable possessions, something he'd want hidden and safe from everyone."

"Dad had a safe at Luthorcorp." Lex said, sliding into the co-pilot seat and putting on the headset. "But he cleaned that out after his release from jail. Beyond that, I don't know where to start looking."

Clark snorted in disbelief, and Bruce looked at them both pointedly. This had to stop now.

"Okay, listen up." Bruce said, fixing Lex with a hard stare. "I'm not interested in whatever little petty girl problems you two have going on. There is more at stake here, and you both know it." He turned to Clark. "If this is going to work, we've got to act as a team."

"With you in charge, Bruce? Typical." Lex sneered, and Clark half-rose, in defense of his friend.

"You can be in charge, Lex, if it means that much to you." Bruce said, shaking his head. "I'm a solo act. I can hold up my end, team or not. It's you two I'm worried about. But, if you NEED a leader, I was thinking Clark would be in charge."

"Clark!" Lex turned and looked at Clark, incredulous.

"Me?" Clark gulped. "But Bruce, I thought you…"

"Fine." Bruce looked at Lex. "Unless you can fly, Luthor, I suggest you apply yourself to

figuring out where your father hides his trophies and remember we all have something at stake here." Bruce pulled his headset on, and flipped switches, readying the jet for take off. "Meantime, I'm heading toward Gotham City. Clark, call Alfred. Ask him to start looking for any bank alarms on the East Coast in the last four hours. He'll know what to do." Clark nodded and moved to the set of computer panels on the right side of the plane to call the British man and get him started on the search.

Chloe and Lana stood on the tarmac, holding hands like little girls, as the silent, black jet sped down the runway and into the even blacker Eastern sky. There was nothing left to do now but wait.

The three men sat at their stations in near silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Lex, ever the observer, had made several mental notes, Bruce's little jet was a gold mine of applications just waiting for the right military bidder. Knowing full well where his father had gone, Lex for reasons that he himself did not want to admit, chose not to divulge it. His pilot had been given instructions and Lex knew they'd be carried out to the letter. Unlike Bruce, Lex thought, I operate best with a large, loyal team.

The Lana question had been a complete red herring. As much as Lex loved her, and did not want to lose her, exploiting her AS his weakness had been a sacrifice he'd been more than willing to make. Lana had been a valuable pawn, and bringing her had paid off brilliantly. It had been easy to see that Bruce was attracted to her, as much as he protested otherwise, and Lex was able to get a few key insights into Bruce Wayne. He smiled, and leaned back in his seat. Bruce had this plane on auto-pilot. There was nothing for Lex to do but wait until they got closer to Gotham, spring the news about where Lionel was. He'd take off for Geneva alone, and Bruce and Clark could take their teamwork and stick it. Lex turned slightly and looked back at Clark. What would Bruce and Clark think if they found out that the Smallville Sheriff's Department had not been notified of Lionel's disappearance? Lex smiled and turned back to his controls. It didn't matter what they thought at the end of it all. As long as they played their parts, the ends most certainly would justify the means. And the ends were that Lex would get Fine and the answers to the riddles of the ships, once and for all.

Bruce Wayne, in the pilot's seat, was not as lost in thought as Lex seemed to think. This stealth jet would have to be de-classified immediately. Bruce held the patents on every innovation onboard, so Lex would find himself unable to steal any of the technology. Bruce slid his eyes in Lex's direction, amazed at the depths to which Lex would sink. The 'drunken' duel was really the crowning achievement, really. But Bruce knew two things. One, Lex Luthor was hiding where his father was. Two, Lex's great 'fear' of losing Lana had nothing whatsoever to do with loving her. She was a trophy, one Lex may have won at too high a price, and one that was swiftly losing value to him. Bruce spared a moment to consider the future of Lana Lang, once Lex was done with her, and then dismissed it from his mind. Her future was her business, and Bruce wished her well. What Lex was not going to expect was the fact Clark and Alfred were well on their way to figuring out where Lionel Luthor had been taken. Several transmissions had been sent from Clark's communication console to Alfred, who had not only checked on East Coast alarms, but has sent out inquiries to every bank in Switzerland, looking for the senior Luthor. When Alfred found the location, the coordinates would be uploaded to the jet's navigational computer, and the original course for Gotham City would be replaced with a new heading. All this had been done completely silently, and there was no way in hell Lex could have figured that the game plan would be changed in mid-flight. If anything, Bruce Wayne was a man who liked to think at least five steps ahead of most other men, but made a point of thinking ten steps ahead of men like Lex Luthor. This Milton Fine, however, was a mystery to Bruce, and mysteries where what Bruce loved best.

Clark studied the transmissions from Alfred, knowing what part he had to play in this drama to keep Lex in the dark. He and Bruce had discussed Lex – the possibility of Lex finding out the secret. The situation was big enough now that Clark no longer worried too much about Lex finding out. He already knew everything – but Lex wasn't connecting the dots correctly yet. Perhaps he never would, Clark didn't even want to think about it. The next communication from Alfred was the one Clark was waiting for, and he routed the commands Alfred was sending to the navigational system, first deactivating Lex's control panel with a neat little trick Chloe had taught him for shutting down alarm systems when doing some investigational hacking.

Finished, Clark pulled off his headset, and stood. "I'm getting some water." Clark announced, "Anyone want anything?"

"I'll take a brandy, Clark" Lex said, with a condescending smile. "Thanks. And some of those airline peanuts."

"Cute, Lex." Bruce said, accepting the navicomputer request to change their destination. "Well, we're going to be in the air awhile." Removing his headset, Bruce rose as well, leaving the cockpit. "Might as well get a sandwich or something."

"It only took us an hour to get to Smallville from Gotham City." Lex said, looking around. "We should be landing soon.'

"Hmmm" Bruce folded his arms. "I suppose you're right. IF we were going to Gotham City, we would have to be landing soon. But we're not going to Gotham City." Bruce shook his head. "We're going to Geneva."

"Geneva?" Lex and Clark asked simultaneously. Lex shot Clark an impatient look and rose from his seat, casting his headset aside. "How did you come to figure my father was in Geneva?"

"A hunch." Bruce smirked. "And confirmation from an informant in the _MOURGUE D'ALGUE & CIE_ in Geneva."

"An informant" Lex repeated. "Amazing."

"Don't go pulling all your marbles out of there just yet, Lex." Bruce seemed to grow bigger, darker, more menacing, and Clark realized that he was seeing the Gotham City Batman at work. "This is about saving your father. I couldn't trust you to play fair, so, I bent a few rules."

"I don't think I need to tell you that the International Banking Federation will be notified of your 'bending a few rules'." Lex said, smugly. "You and your informant are facing a nice long jail sentence."

Bruce thought about this for a minute, and nodded. "Maybe. But, I'll go to country club jail, if at all. I'm on a mission of mercy, don't forget. I was trying to save someone's life. That should really be all it takes to get me off the hook. But, speaking of jail, how about you, for instance? How easy do you think a Midwestern American judge is going to go on a 26 year old man who has a stalker shrine to the football hero son of a very sympathetic State Senator in his house? I'd say, you're looking at about twenty years, hard time. And that's only if your purchase of the Talon and any business dealings with Lana Lang were strictly on the up and up until she was legal." Bruce smiled warmly. "No amount of money will get you out of that, either, Lex. The courts hold a particularly nasty view of obsessive stalkings in today's world, and taking advantage of orphans is still pretty much frowned on."

Lex looked at Clark, who shrugged and put his hands in his pockets.

"What do you want, Bruce?" Lex asked, his eyes not leaving Clark.

"I want full disclosure." Bruce replied simply. "I want to know what the hell is going on, and I want to know now. I want to know why this Fine guy would kidnap your father, leaving no note – making no ransom demand. I want to know why you wouldn't call law enforcement on this." Lex turned and stared at Bruce in shock. Bruce nodded solemnly and then sighed. "I want to know why you've been investigating a 19 year old for the past five years. And then, Lex – I want you to start playing nice with others."

"And you?" Lex turned back to Clark. "Any demands?"

"No." Clark said, swallowing. "Well, one."

"What is it, Clark?" Lex looked around. "Doesn't look like my study, but I'm feeling generous today."

"There's a compartment in your trophy room that is sealed with a lead panel. What's behind it?" Clark asked, and Lex rolled his eyes.

"Of all the demands to make, Clark. Honestly, I expected some threat or warning about Lana." Lex replied with a sarcastic grin. Clark did not rise to the bait, but Bruce did.

"I'll issue the Lana Lang warning, Lex." Bruce's voice was a growl "I meant it when I said Lana was not my type, but I'm warning you now. There will be nowhere on Earth safe for you, nowhere to hide if you hurt that girl. If you do really love her, Lex, stop using her in your games. Now, answer the question."

"Behind that panel are several samples of refined meteor rock – and some varieties of it that have surfaced all over the world." Lex explained. "The applications are endless, and the rock plentiful. Some of it is from failed Luthorcorp experiments, but I know there will be a use for it, I just know it."

Bruce nodded. "Okay, now, what's up with the nutty Professor? "

Lex shook his head. "I don't know. I had received information that he was an operative for a secret government agency that investigates alien activity. He had been working on the latest meteor crash in Smallville, posing as an World History professor at Central Kansas A &M. He had no reason to kidnap my father. I was working with him as closely as I could."

"He could have decided to go rogue – more money in selling information than suppressing it. " Bruce reasoned, "That would be my best guess, but with no ransom note…"

"What if Fine was affected by the meteors during this last shower?" Clark asked, and Bruce and Lex both looked at him. "He might be out for answers."

"I don't know." Lex shook his head. "Why Dad?"

"We'll find out when we get to Geneva." Bruce said. He rubbed his eyes as if he felt a headache coming on. "I'm definitely getting a sandwich." He made his way past Clark, and clapped him on the shoulder. "Keep an eye on the com, Clark."

Lex sat down, shaken. He looked up at Clark, almost forgetting that they had not beein friends for sometime. "You found the room."

"Chloe and I went to your house with Mom. I went looking for Lionel because there seemed to be some signs of a struggle. When I got to the trophy room, it had been trashed. Your dad was there, and before I could figure out what happened, Fine came in and threw me across the room. When I came to, they were gone." Clark told Lex. "I'm not going to ask you why you are still investigating me Lex. Whatever your reasons are, they are your reasons. I'm done worrying about it. I'm over Lana, so if your reasons for being with her have anything to do with me, all I want to say is that I only want Lana to be happy. I couldn't." Clark looked down at his feet. "I hope you can, Lex. She deserves that."

"And Chloe? You can make her happy and not Lana?" Lex asked.

"I hope so." Clark smiled. "I can be myself with Chloe."

"I envy you, Clark." Lex rose, and smiled at Clark with a pale imitation of the friendship they had once shared. "I don't think I'll have that with anyone, ever. Not even Lana."


	7. Crystals & Kryptonite

Chloe, Lana and Martha sat around the scrubbed table in silence. None of them were willing to give in to sleep, and the things that were unspoken between then were too awkward to address. Chloe's laptop was open on the table, set to one side, waiting for news.

"Who'd like more tea?" Martha stood, placing her hands on the small of her back as she stretched. "I'm going to put water up, and get my files. Might as well keep myself occupied. I'll be back in a few minutes." Chloe nodded as Mrs. Kent left, and looked over at Lana, who was looking off into the living room, at a picture of Clark, Pete, Lana and Chloe that had been taken sometime in junior year. Chloe sighed, thinking about those days, and Lana turned to look at Chloe, tears in her eyes. Neither girl spoke, but tears fell silently, neither breaking eye contact until Lana dropped her face into her hands. A soft chime rang from the laptop, and Chloe jumped on it, opening the e-mail from Alfred Pennyworth. Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, Chloe read it silently, listening to Lana sniffle beside her.

"Miss Sullivan,

Mr. Kent asked me to relay a message to you. He would like you to go to Mr. Luthors mansion and retrieve some articles from a secret compartment in the trophy room. He says that Miss Lang might know how to help you. He also says that if you tell Miss Lang his secret, about being affected by the meteor shower, things might go more smoothly. Good Luck,

Alfred Pennyworth"

Chloe closed the e-mail and turned to Lana. The other girl had also wiped her face, and was tracing the woodgrain of the tabletop with her finger. "How well do you know Lex's trophy room?"

"Not that well." Lana replied, looking up. "Lex showed it to me once. Why?"

"Remember how Clark used to get sick around you?" Chloe asked, and Lana nodded.

"I'm going to tell you Clark's secret, Lana. He'll be furious with me, but you need to know."

"Chloe, I…"Lana raised her hands. "I think I already know. I mean, if he's a meteor freak, that's okay. He's still Clark, and in spite of everything, I still think of him as my friend. Just tell me what we have to do." Lana took Chloe's hand. "I've been a bad friend, Chloe. I owe you a lot."

"Lana, let's not have the bad friend conversation, okay?" Chloe squeezed Lana's hand and smiled. "We're always there for each other when it counts. And now it counts a lot. There are some things we need to get from Lex's trophy room, in a hidden compartment in the wall. We have to get whatever it is out of there. Will you help me?"

Lana nodded. "I'll do whatever you need me to do."

"Mrs. Kent!" Chloe called out, and Martha reappeared, her briefcase in hand. "We're going on a little retrieval mission over at Lex's."

Martha dropped her briefcase, and grabbed her keys. "I'm ready, Chloe, Lana. Let's get going."

"You are playing with my patience." Fine said, as Lionel fumbled with the combination for the last time. "My master will not be so patient…"

"I'm very sorry, even someone such as myself, who is used to dealing under pressure, sometimes finds themselves at a," the lock gave way as the final number of the combination ticked into place. "Loss." Lionel opened the door and walked into the vault. Even Lex had never seen the things Lionel kept here, photos of Lillian in huge silver frames, the pieces of her jewelry that Lionel would never part with, Julians cradle, objects of tremendous value, both monetary and sentimental. And then, there were the expected things; gold bricks, stacks of currency from every country around the globe, pieces of art so valuable and their way of coming into Lionel's hands so questionable that they would never see the light of day again. But the prize lay in a nondescript box, banded with strips of iron. Fine had entered the vault with Lionel, his eyes scanning every object, looking for anything that might conceal the key he was searching for.

"Ah." Lionel picked up the box. "I had two of these made, from the armor of St. George.." He offered it to Fine, who did not take it, but stared at the box intently. "Oh, that's right…it's made of lead. My mistake." Lionel ran a hand across the lid. There were other articles made of the meteor rock hidden in the vault, including refined bricks the size of the gold bars. But Fine had entered the vault and showed no ill effect, so Lionel suddenly was scrambling for a new foothold in this situation.

"The meteor rock that came from your planet is quite unique…" Lionel said, controlling his nervousness with an air of nonchalance. "It has quite an effect on those of your kind that are here. "

"It would not have an effect on me." Fine said, his fingers morphing into a long, gunmetal spike. "I am not organic."

"Well, so I see." Lionel chuckled. He gestured to the changed hand "That's quite a trick."

Fine looked at Lionel. "You are not all you seem to be, are you?" Studying Lionel for a moment longer, he put the spiked fingers to Lionel's chest and remained very still. "You have touched one of Jor-El's stones."

"There was an artifact in my possession, some time ago, of Kryptonian origin, but alas, I no longer possess it." Lionel explained, as Fine began to root around the vault, looking for what, Lionel did not know. 'You won't find it…"

"I am not looking for Jor-El's stones." Fine turned and studied Lionel. He held up the box, and shook it. "The key." With minimum effort, Fine pulled the lid off the box, and stared down at the key that glowed bright green. "This key is different."

"This key," Lionel took it from the box. Translucent and glowing, it cast a sickly light over Fine's face. "I had made. The original was stolen from me." Lionel handed it to Fine. "This should open your ship."

"My master will be pleased." Fine examined the kryptonite octagon and nodded. "You will continue to be my hostage, human. My master will need a sacrifice when he arrives."

Chloe, Lana and Martha made their way through the Luthor Mansion, marching purposefully to the trophy room. Lana had gotten them past Lex's security, and since the room had not been touched, under Lex's specific instruction, all was as it had been when Clark found it.

"Whoa." Chloe surveyed the damage, taking in the scope of what she was seeing. Martha's sharp intake of breath let Chloe know that Martha, too, was just now taking in what was before them. Earlier, they had run into this room to help Clark, too blind with worry to have realized what they were walking into. "Oh My God, Lana, is this for real?" Chloe placed a hand on the rectangular sculpture in the center of the room.

"It was." Lana also, surveyed the room in shock. "Who did this?"

"We found Clark over there," Martha pointed to the twisted display case, "the room was already damaged."

Lana sighed. "I'm glad. This room has been a weight on my heart for weeks." She kicked at a piece of glass. "I wish I knew for sure what we were looking for."

"We're looking for a compartment in the wall that has meteor rock and refined meteor rock in it." Chloe said, walking around the room, knocking intermittently on the walls. "Once we get it out of here, I can start searching Dr. Swann's data for what it all does."

Martha looked over at Chloe, who shook her head. "Chloe, Clark is allergic to the meteor rock, what does he want with it?" Martha whispered, when Lana disappeared into an alcove. She reappeared, looking at Chloe and shaking her head.

"It's okay, Mrs. Kent. Lana knows Clark's secret." Chloe said, and then added quickly, "you know, how the meteors affected him? He wanted me to tell her."

Martha nodded. "He was so afraid for you to know, Lana. Knowing how you've been through so much with other people affected by the meteors, he was afraid that you would think differently about him."

"It doesn't matter." Lana said, pushing her hair out of her face. "I thought it would, you know, finding out about Clark's secret…but now, I realize that knowing doesn't change much." She looked at Chloe and smiled. "Clark and I were always meant to not be together. It just took too long to figure it out."

"Okay, let's stop wading in the water as it goes under the bridge." Chloe bit her lip and knocked on the wall next to her again. Hollow. "I think this is it." She knelt and picked up a large and heavy sword that was on the floor. Taking three steps back, Chloe raised the sword and slammed it with all her might on the wall. The wall buckled, and Chloe grunted, lifting the sword again. Stepping to the side, she swung the sword like a large baseball bat several times, and the lead panel gave way on the last swing, falling backward, with a dull clang. "Whoa."

Martha and Lana ran to look into the room. All along the walls, were tables full of meteor rock, or refined kryptonite substances. Stepping over the door, the three women walked into the narrow room, each going to a different area to examine the contents of the room.

"This is the near death experience serum." Lana held a small, glass vial up to the light. She frowned. "Lex." Lana set the vial back on the table and shook her head.

"Oh, it gets better." Chloe said, quickly read labels as she picked up items and

put them in her bag. "There is a sample or example of every experiment done with meteor rocks since, well, ever. We have to figure out how to get everything out of here."

Chloe stopped loading her bag and looked around. "Lana, can you find baskets, bags, anything?"

"I'll go look." Lana nodded and ran off to find the required items. Chloe turned to Mrs. Kent, who was standing at another table, this one covered with examples of raw Kryptonite, in just about every color Chloe could think of.

Martha was holding a large, metallic chunk of Kryptonite in her hands. "Chloe, I don't want to think about what this all could do to Clark. This room would be deadly to him."

"I know." Chloe rested her hand on a box of shining red jewels. She looked down and smiled. "The stones from Smallville High School Senior Rings. We know what THOSE do." Smiling in spite of herself, Chloe walked over to Martha and looked at the meteor rocks. "We'll have to get all of this out of here, and when we get back to the house, get started figuring out what all of this can do."

Lana reappeared, dragging a laundry cart and three large baskets. She was flushed and looked a little excited. "Look." She opened her hand. A gunmetal grey octagon lay on her palm. "I found this in Lex's room, in a little lead box. I was looking for more meteor rock."

Martha gasped, walking to Lana to take the octagon. She remembered herself, and examined it intently. "It's got little symbols on it." Martha looked at Chloe and Lana, and Lana nodded. Chloe walked over and looked at the octagon herself.

"These symbols are all over the caves." Chloe said, secretly hating Lex a little more. He had taken the key she'd found and hid it. "I wonder what they mean?" Chloe took the disc and examined it more closely. She looked back at Lana. "Can I hold on to this for now?"

"I don't see why not." Lana replied, going into the meteor sample room. "If Lex had it put where he did, it's probably something important." She didn't sound as nonchalant about it as her words would have implied. There was a quaver in Lana's voice, a trill of rage that Chloe welcomed. Lana angry at Lex meant she'd try to protect Clark as much as she could. Slipping the key in her pocket, it hit the glowing crystal and a shriek pierced the world, splitting Chloe's mind in two. Lana and Martha fell to the floor, covering their ears.

"The Key." Fine turned, facing west. He looked over his shoulder at Lionel, tossing the kryptonite key on the floor. "You are no longer necessary."

"Now wait a minute." Lionel held up his hands. "I think you are mistaken."

"No. But I will give you some small mercy." Fine's hand turned into a sharp, evil looking blade. "You will bleed to death before you run out of air in this vault."

Bruce figured the trip to Geneva would take about three hours, and they were very nearly there. Alfred had been relaying messages back and forth between Chloe and Clark all night. The women had gone over to Lex's mansion and were taking out the Kryptonite, and hopefully they'd find something to help take Fine down. Bruce wanted an edge. If this Fine person was indeed from Krypton, he had the same powers Clark did. A physical battle was completely out of the question. He looked around the cabin. Clark was actively researching something on the communications computer, and Lex was asleep, or seemed to be.

"Clark, what do you have?" Bruce asked, getting up from the pilot seat. Soon enough, he'd have to start dealing with the international red tape. Miraculously, everyone had their passports, and Switzerland was a friendly country.

"Just researching Dr. Fine." Clark said, casting a glance over to where Lex was sleeping.

"There was a small time hypnotist by that name in Granville that went missing the day of the second meteor shower." Pointing to the picture, Clark nodded. "That was my World History professor."

"What the hell are we dealing with, Clark?" Bruce asked, running his hands through his hair. "If it's a missing hypnotist…"

"Possessed, hypnotized, under the influence of meteor rock, take your pick." Lex interrupted, not opening his eyes. "We're talking about Smallville. Everything and anything is possible. My spies in four countries identified Dr. Fine, all of them in hot zones for infectious disease. Whatever he was before the meteor shower, he's not human now." Lex opened his eyes and looked at Bruce, who was frowning, deep in thought. "You wanted full disclosure." Lex said, a mock helpful smirk hovering around his mouth.

"Appreciate it, Lex." Bruce returned Lex's smirk with a scowl. "We're almost in Geneva. Brush off your French, Lex. It's all on you." With that parting remark, Bruce walked back to the pilot seat, and began the landing protocols. Suddenly, Clark grasped his head, and fell from his seat, groaning. The ringing was deafening, producing such a mind splitting pain that Clark could barely register anything else. Holding his head, he writhed on the floor, as if being ripped apart.

"Clark!" Lex jumped up, and Bruce turned, his face pale.

"What the hell is going on?" Bruce yelled, and Lex shook his head.

"Clark!" Lex turned Clark over, wincing at the agony written on his former friends face.

"The girls." Clark grunted, fighting through his pain. "The girls are in danger. And Lionel." Clark lifted one hand from his head, and pulled on Lex, drawing him closer.

"You have to go on and save your father, Lex. You have to." The shrieking resumed, and Clark screamed in pain.

Bruce pulled off his headset, hanging up on Geneva Approach. He jumped over the seat and knelt next to Clark. After a long moment, Bruce turned to Lex. "I'm touching down in Geneva, you are going after your father. Clark and I are going back to Smallville." Bruce fixed Lex with a stern glare. "I know you arranged for your jet to meet you here, so I'm not worried about getting you home, Lex. But I want you to keep in touch."

Lex nodded. "I'll let you know when I find Dad. You go land the plane. I'll stay with Clark."

Chloe rose, blinking against the light that surrounded her. She seemed to be in the Fortress, but somehow everything was different. A woman, tall and willowy, with a glossy mop of black curls stood a few feet away, her beautiful face so familiar to Chloe that she felt her eyes sting. A man also stood with the woman, and his green eyes were intense and wise, his hair prematurely white around a youthful face that smiled and wrenched Chloe's heart so deeply she could not breathe. Clark's parents. They had to be.

"Jor-El." She whispered, and he nodded.

"Daughter of Earth." Jor-El said, "You have brought together the keys. A bridge between Krypton and Earth has been forged, if only for a short time. The danger to your friends and Kal-El is greater than ever."

"Every being from Krypton on Earth is now aware of the original keys location." Lara glided to Chloe and touched her cheek. "The tie must be severed at once. The servant of Zod is already headed toward you. Kal-El and the one who protects the city to the East are also returning."

Chloe drew out the crystal and the octagon from her pocket. "What do I have to do?"

Lara smiled. "You must bring them together again, and the crystal will be merged with your very being, Daughter of Earth. All the knowledge of Krypton we prepared for our son will be imprinted in you. This is for your protection and the preservation of this crystal."

"There is great power also." Jor-El spoke, and he took Chloe's hand in his own. "The power to protect your friends has been given to you. You will know what to do. Use it wisely, Daughter of Earth."

"Will I have Clark's, I mean, Kal-El's gifts?" Chloe asked, gasping in shock.

"No." Lara shook her head. "Your own talents will be magnified, for a time. When it is safe, you and the crystal will be separated."

"You are the chosen. "Jor El said, looking down into Chloe's face. "You are the guide Kal-El needs for this first part of his journey."

Chloe nodded. "When I wake up?"

"You will be returned to where you were." Jor-El told her. "But you will have a connection to us, and to the entire Kryptonian history. Give the key to Kal-El's human mother. It will not be safe for you to possess it."

"I understand." Chloe shifted the octagon to her other hand. "I'm ready."

Lara nodded. "Daughter of Earth." She smiled. "Chloe. You are brave, loyal and beautiful. It is no wonder that Kal-El loves you so."

Chloe brought the crystal and the metallic octagon together again. White light blinded her, but she could hear Lara. "Be brave, Chloe. You are the crystal, now."

Chloe opened her eyes, blinking. Lana and Martha knelt beside her, fear and concern on their faces. Quickly, she handed the octagon to Martha and looked at her left hand. A white, raised scar ran along her palm, shimmering like frost. She and the crystal had been joined.

"Chloe, are you okay?" Lana helped her sit, and Martha slipped the octagon into her pocket.

"I'm okay, but we have to get out of here, now." Chloe looked around. '"Gather all the Kryptonite you can find and let's get it to a safe place."

Clark sat up, rubbing his forehead. Lex sat back, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"Clark." Lex sighed, relief obvious in his grey eyes. "You scared the crap out of us."

"What happened?" Clark asked, looking around. 'One minute I was in my seat, the next, well, here I am?"

"It looked like you had a seizure." Bruce said, over his shoulder. "Y0u were babbling about the girls being in danger."

"The girls." Clark whispered, and he jumped to his feet. "I remember."

"We're getting ready to land now. Lex is going after Lionel, and we're going home." Bruce informed him. "Hope you are up for a marathon flight."

"It doesn't matter what I'm up for, Bruce." Clark said. "We have to get back and save the girls."

"We will, just hang on." Bruce nodded grimly. "We're landing now."

Lex watched Bruce's black jet taxi around the runway in Geneva to take off again. The flight preparations had been handled by Bruce himself, with Clark assisting. They were quite a team of boy scouts, Lex laughed to himself, as the jet shot off, into the western sky. It was time to find Dad.

Bruce put the plane on autopilot and stared at Clark. "You want to what?"

"Fly. I can fly about as fast as I can run. I'll be back in Smallville before you even cross the International Date Line." Clark said, and Bruce shook his head.

"Nothing doing, Clark. You have another seizure, you're dead." Bruce said sternly and Clark frowned, folding his arms.

"It wasn't a seizure. It was a warning. The key for the Kryptonian ships emits a frequency that Kryptonians can hear. If that thing was going off, Chloe and Lana are in danger, and we can't get there fast enough in this." Clark looked around. "I can be there in less than five minutes."

Bruce weighed this in his mind. "Go. There's a jump hatch in the back of the plane. The door behind you will seal to keep the pressure from bringing the jet down, so once you are out there, that's it."

"I understand," Clark said, nodding. He turned and strode toward the pressure door. Turning, Clark smiled at Bruce. "See you in Smallville," Clark's grin grew wider, teasing. "Batman."

"See you in Smallville." Bruce replied, as the pressure door sealed shut. Ahead of him, he saw a red and blue streak of light pass the jet and head into the western sky and disappear. "My friend."


	8. Action & Reaction

Chloe knew where she was going. Once Lana and Mrs. Kent were in the car with their seatbelts on, Chloe hit the gas. The abandoned missle silo was not that far from Lex's, and Chloe remembered it well. It has been stripped of all the technology and there wasn't anything more dangerous than a field mouse dropping or thirty left in it. But it would be a good home for all of this kryptonite, while they could begin to identify it. The radiation shields would protect Clark if he was in the area as well, until a better, safer place could be found. The mark on her left hand itched, and Chloe lifted her hand off the steering wheel to look at it again. The shimmery frost had not gone away, and it pulsed with colors, more colors than the crystal itself had done, colors that Chloe loved, deep green, turquoise, twilight blue, all the colors of her imagination. Chloe wondered what abilities of hers the crystal had enhanced, and she sighed, thinking about Clark and what his reaction to this latest little twist would be. In her mind's eye, she could see him, flying toward Smallville at a blinding speed, and suddenly could hear his thoughts as clearly as if he was speaking out loud beside her.

"Please be alright, please be alright…." Clark's fervent unspoken wish made Chloe both happy and afraid. "Chloe, please…"

"Clark!" Chloe stopped the car, and concentrated. "Clark! We're bringing the Kryptonite to a safe place…we're fine…" Fine. Chloe stopped, and smiled. If Clark could read her thoughts, then that thing, whatever Fine was might too. Time to plant some sabotage, and Chloe began to mentally recite the song that had driven Gabe and General Lane to near distraction the summer Chloe was six and Lois seven. Once through would be enough to implant the stupid thing in her subconscious until she put the radio on, and long enough to make sure that Fine could not find her yet.

Fine paused. He stood on a cliff, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Facing westward, he paused, listening. The alarm from the key had stopped, and was replaced with a gentle hum, irritatingly monotonous, that would not allow Fine to track it's whereabouts. The song, a simple Earth childrens tune, would not cease and Fine found himself humming the blasted thing. And, just like that, the location of the key was hidden once again.

"There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, I don't know why she swallowed the fly…perhaps she'll die…There was an old lady who swallowed a spider, it wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly, I don't know why she swallowed the fly…perhaps she'll die…"

Fine knew where he must begin the search again. Back in Smallville.

Clark landed in his front yard, running into the house. All the lights were on, but only Shelby was there to greet him.

"Hey, boy." Clark reached down to stroke Shelby's head, "where is everyone, huh?" Clark moved through the house, remembering the brief flash of awareness he had experienced – Chloe's voice in his head – kryptonite to a safe place. Where?

In the back of his mind, a song he remembered from kindergarten bubbled to the surface. "…that swallowed a cat. How about that? She swallowed a cat…"

It seemed strange, because it was Chloe he heard, singing it.

There was the clatter of booted footsteps on the porch, and the front door swung open. Clark turned and found himself face to face with Lois. She looked worried.

"Oh, good, Smallville!" She gasped, short of breath. "I need to get to the gym…"

"Lois, what's wrong?" Clark reached Lois in two steps. "Where's Chloe?"

"She called and said she needed me to meet her at this abandoned missle silo out by the Luthor mansion." Lois explained "And for someone who craves details like my little cousin, she left out why. I came by to pick up the wheelbarrow and your dad's old truck. Your mom said the keys are in your dad's coffee mug.

"When was this?" Clark asked and Lois pushed past him, impatiently.

"How long could it have taken me to drive from the Talon to here? What, ten minutes? Outta my way, Smallville. Chloe needs me." Lois strode into the kitchen to retrieve the keys, and Clark stopped her.

"I'll go." He took the keys. "You could do me a huge favor, though."

"What?" Lois folded her arms, annoyed.

"Go to the Smallville airport. A friend of mine should be arriving in the next hour or two, and bring him out to the silo with you. His name is Bruce Wayne." Clark put his hands on Lois' shoulders. "I promise, nothing will happen to Chloe. Just do what I'm asking you to do, Lois."

"Okay." The annoyance on Lois' face dropped away. "This is serious, isn't it, Clark?"

"Yeah, it is." Clark nodded, releasing his grip on Lois. "I'm going out to the silo."

"_Mais non, Monsieur."_ The president of _MOURGUE D'ALGUE & CIE _wrung his hands nervously, standing before Lex Luthor. Your father has not been into the bank for some time. I have not seen him, and there have been deposits, of ehm, _À caractère incertain_

to his vault I have wanted to discuss with him. "

"I want to go down to the vault." Lex said simply. It was not a request.

"_Ce n'est pa possible_." The bank president shook his head. "There are laws, _non_? I must protect the _confidentialité_ of my clients."

"My father is missing, Monsieur. He was last spotted coming to this bank. I don't care if this bank has been standing since 1849, Monsieur. I'll tear it down, brick by brick, until I get into that vault and see for myself." Lex stated calmly, his voice betraying no emotion. The steely glint in his eyes was enough for the Swiss man. With a dramatic sigh, the bank president punched a number into his desk phone and gave the instructions in rapid French.

"_Portez M. Luthor vers le bas à la chambre forte le numéro 2435. Et ne le laissez pas seul là pendant un moment._" He hung up and looked up at Lex. "Est-ce que c'est assez ?"

"Yes, that is more than enough." Lex replied politely. "Thank you." The door to the bank presidents office opened, and two armed security guards appeared. Lex turned and met them at the door. "If my guess is correct, Monsieur, these men won't need to be leaving me alone at all. _Et si ma conjecture est correcte, et mon père est en bas de là et dans l'ennui, vous regretterez le jour où vous m'avez jamais rencontré, monsieur. Vous ne serez pas président de n'importe quoi, encore moins cette banque avant que je sois fait avec vous." _Lex strode from the office, followed by the two uniformed guards, and the bank president sat down with a thump in his leather desk chair. Shaking, he wiped his forehead with a fresh, white handkerchief, and then folded his hands in prayer.

"Dear God,

Please let the American find his father safe, and please, let him remember that I am an old man, and this is a very old bank."

Bruce opened the hatch of the stealth jet and hopped out dropping his small bag of belongings on the tarmac. He pushed the hatch shut and looked around. No Clark, no Chloe. Not good. Bruce pulled out his phone and began to dial Clark's number when a red car pulled up beside him and stopped. A tall girl with light brown hair got out, and she looked around, her eyes finally falling on Bruce. She sighed, throwing her arms in the air. Bruce took her in, long legs, great figure and one of those women that are in a hurry for everything.

"Hey, you, fly boy." She said, and Bruce hid a grin. "Do you know if someone named Bruce Wayne landed here? I'm supposed to meet him, but I don't know who he is." She sighed. "Damn Smallville."

"Don't like the town?" Bruce asked, neutrally.

"Oh, no." She smiled, rolling her eyes. "It's a guy, I mean, I call the guy Smallville, because he's from here. The town is fine, if you like cow poop and no excitement." Her eyes, a rather attractive golden hazel, took on an amused twinkle. "I guess I'm your first impression of Smallville. I'm Lois Lane." Lois saluted him briskly and looked around again. "Wish I knew who I was looking for."

"Did you say you were looking for Bruce Wayne?" Bruce asked, pretending to look around. "I'm pretty sure I saw him." He bent down and picked up his duffel bag.

"Look, I'd love to play twenty questions with you, Fly Boy, but my cousin may be in over her head in trouble, my boss is with her, and I am really not in the mood. So, if you saw Bruce Wayne, why don't you be a good little unit and point me in the right direction?" Lois tipped her head and pulled in her lower lip in a way that made Bruce both annoyed and intrigued.

"Wow, country manners really mean nothing to you, do they, Lois?" Bruce said, finally giving in to the urge to laugh. "Smallville grows some gorgeous women, but are any of you even normal?" He goaded, walking around the car. When he got right in front of her, Bruce held out a hand. "Now, let's start again. I'm Bruce Wayne. It's terribly nice for you to come out all this way to meet me, Lois." Lois took his hand and shook it, no nonsense and not one ounce of embarrassment at all for her rudeness. She was spectacular. A smile crossed her lips, and the glint in her eye turned teasing.

"Come on, Fly Boy.' She popped the latch on her trunk and without so much as a wince, picked up Bruce's duffel bag and dumped it in the car. She walked around to the driver's side and opened the door, and Bruce came behind her. He put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around, taking the keys from her hand.

"Hey!" Her cry of protest echoed over the empty airfield. "As long as I'm making the payments on my car, I'm the only one driving it." She stretched, reaching for her keys, and Bruce took a step back, holding the keys above his head. "My insurance payments are high enough!"

"A few ground rules, Lois, and you and I will get along great, I think." Bruce said, holding her off with his other hand. "One, no matter what the vehicle, jet, car, bicycle for built for two, I'm driving."

Lois stopped trying to reach for the key, "Now, you listen to me…"

"Two." Bruce chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "As much as I'm enjoying this wonderful welcome to Smallville, I prefer to have at least ten inches of personal space." He took a step away from Lois.

"If you think I'm going to let you take my car keys and drive my car, when I don't know you from anyone, you've got another thing coming." Lois said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Three." Bruce raised his voice. "I'm not usually a team player, and apparently all of you in Smallville are, so, let's use our inside voices and be grown-ups."

"Of all the arrogant, stuck up, miserable pain in the, well, you know…"Lois stomped her foot. "Give me my keys, Wayne. You can find Clark on foot."

"Four." Bruce shook the keys. "I'm driving, and if I damage your car, Lois, I'll buy you four just like it. You can even get the upgrades." Lois opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it. "Are you done now?"

"Yes." Lois said, frowning. She turned, arms folded, and walked to the passenger side of the car. "You want to open the door?"

Bruce smiled. "Sure, Lois." He pressed the button on the remote and popped the door for her. This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Bruce thought, chuckling to himself as he got into her car.

Clark reached the missle silo and saw his mother dragging a basket of raw Kryptonite toward the door. She looked up, and waved.

"Don't get any closer, honey!" Martha called out. "It's too dangerous!"

"Where's Chloe and Lana, Mom? Are they okay?" Clark asked, and Martha nodded.

"We're all okay, Clark!" Martha yelled back, and then, Chloe appeared from the doorway of the silo. She smiled, and ran toward him, taking the short distance quickly, and coming to a stop in his arms.

"Clark." She said, glad to feel his heart beating under her cheek. Chloe looked up into his face and smiled. "We've been busy. And you flew. Where's Lex, and Lionel? Did Lois bring the wheelbarrow? Where's Bruce?"

He cut her questions off with a kiss. "Lex is in Geneva, with Lionel. Bruce is on his way, and I saw Lois at the house. I brought the wheelbarrow, and Lois went to the airport to meet Bruce." He took her left hand in his right, and turned it over to see the shimmering scar on her palm. "Chloe." His green eyes grew wide.

"It doesn't hurt." Chloe said, looking at the crystal scar. "I mean, it REALLY doesn't hurt. So far, I am telepathic, with Kryptonians only. I don't get tired, and I know everything there is to know about Krypton. I planted a distraction in Fine, so hopefully it will take him a little while to get here." She grinned, mischieviously. "Did you get any of it?"

"The old lady and the fly? Oh yeah." Clark laughed. "I thought I was going crazy. I couldn't get that song out of my head." He squeezed her hand. "Did Jor-El do this?"

"Yes, they said it would be safer if the crystal became part of me, for now." Chloe told him. "Clark, I SAW your parents. You look a lot like your mom, by the way." She hugged him again. "It feels so good to be close to you again. I could sense you," Chloe said, "You know, with my mind, but this is a million times better."

Clark smiled into her hair. "Chloe, we have to go to the Fortress. I want to lead Fine away from here." He looked over to where his mother and Lana were carrying the last load of Kryptonite into the silo. "I can't put anyone else at risk."

"Okay." Chloe gave Clark a sidelong look. "Why do I think you already have a plan in mind?"

"I'm pretty sure I do." Clark nodded. "When Bruce gets here, we'll talk about it."

Lex turned the tumbler on the vault again. The combination had to be something that was significant to his father. Finally, it came to him, and Lex dialed the combination quickly. The vault swung open, and even Lex was shocked by what he saw. Lionel lay in a pool of blood, the symbols from the caves written on almost every surface in his blood.

"Mon Dieu." One of the guards gasped. "Qu'est-ce que c'est?"

"Dad!" Lex went to his father and knelt beside him, ignoring the other contents of the vault. Lionel was barely breathing, and his eyes, partially open, showed no sign of their usual color. He was speaking in a language Lex could not understand. He looked up and over at the guards. The one who had exclaimed at the sight of Lionel was already calling for help. The other guard had disappeared, and Lex assumed he had gone to tell the bank president what was going on. "Hang on, Dad. We're going to get you out of here."

"Where's Lex?" Lana asked, wiping her face with the back of her hand, "Is Lionel okay?"

Bruce and Lois had just arrived as Martha and Lana had come out from the silo. Lois went to Chloe and immediately hugged her, keeping her arm around her cousin's shoulders, glad to be away from Bruce Wayne, even if it was only four feet away.

"We left Lex in Geneva," Bruce said, putting his hands on Lana's shoulders. "I had to do some flying to get back. He'll call when he finds Lionel." Bruce looked down into Lana's face. "As soon as we hear, I'll have my private jet fly you to them, okay?"

"I'd like that, Bruce." Lana smiled. "If Lionel is in trouble, Lex may need me." She reached up and took Bruce's hand. "Thank you."

"No problem." Bruce nodded, and turned to Mrs. Kent. "You must be Martha Kent." He offered his hand, and she shook it. "Not exactly state legislature out here."

Martha looked around, and laughed. "It's not, but the things we do for family."

Bruce hesitated, and Martha, her mother's instinct humming, added quickly, "And friends."

Bruce grinned. "You ARE a politician after all." The whole group laughed, and Lois cleared her throat.

"Speaking of politics, Mrs. K, you have about ten phone calls to answer, and a proposal to consider…can we leave the haunted silo and get down to business?" Lois hugged herself. "This place gives me the creeps."

"That's a good idea." Martha smiled. "Let's all go back to the house and wait for Lex to call." She looked over at Clark, who nodded.

"Bruce can ride with me in the truck. Chloe," Clark looked down at her. "bring Lana and Mom home, okay?" She nodded, and with a quick kiss, moved off with Lana and Martha. "We have to talk." Clark said, and Bruce nodded, both of them walking toward the Kent family pickup truck.

"Ehem." Lois cleared her throat loudly, and Bruce turned, smirking. He reached into his pocket and tossed Lois her keys. She caught them, sneered at Bruce and turned to walk away without another word.

" Hey, Lois. Nice ride. Next time, though, maybe I could pick the music. I'm not much for Whitesnake." Bruce laughed, and Lois stuck her tongue out at him.

"Next time, the closest YOU are getting to my baby, FlyBoy, is your reflection in the rear view mirror as I drive away." Lois waved at Clark. "See you back at the farm, Smallville." She got into her car and drove off, leaving a cloud of dust.

Clark and Bruce looked at each other for a minute, and then they both started to laugh.

"I gotta say, Clark. It's no wonder you are stuck on this town." Bruce shook his head. "There are enough distractions in Smallville to keep any one busy for a long, long time."

"It's not so bad. Lois actually lived with us for awhile." Clark grimaced. "Let's just say that that Whitesnake CD is more irritating the more you hear it."

"I could think of worse things." Bruce mused, and Clark tried to hide his amusement by getting into the truck.

By the time the men had returned to the house, Martha had begun feeding the girls. As they walked into the house, Bruce's cell phone rang. He waved at Clark and stayed out on the porch to take the call.

"Bruce Wayne." He answered, turning away from the sound of the women greeting them.

"Bruce. It's Lex." Lex stood outside the trauma room window, watching the team of Swiss doctors stabilize his father. "I found Dad. He was left for dead in his vault. I have the inventory list, and there isn't anything missing."

"And his status now?" Bruce looked up, frustrated. This Fine was not matching any m.o. of any other piece of crap criminal Bruce knew. This guy was DEFINITELY not human, if he had taken nothing from the Luthor family secret vault.

"Desperately in need of transfusion. He's in shock from the blood loss and incoherent. They've hung blood and giving him drugs to help boost his volume." Lex turned away from the window. "There was no sign of the elusive Professor Fine, Interpol is involved now. They are checking the vault for fingerprints."

"Interpol?" Bruce nodded. He could slice their system later if he needed to. If he got back to Gotham tonight. "Well, let them do what they have to. I'm going to have my pilot fly Lana to you in Geneva, Lex."

Lex exhaled roughly. "That would mean a lot, Bruce. Thanks."

"She's what's good about you, Lex. You know that, right?" Bruce said, seeing Lana as she sat with Mrs. Kent. "She sees you as the man you want to be. That's a big deal, Lex. Don't blow it."

Lex nodded, "Big brother vibe noted, Bruce. I'll keep you posted." Lex hung up his phone and looked back in the trauma room. _Fight, old man_. Lex thought, watching the doctors work. _It's not your time, you still owe me so much_. _Succeeding won't be half as victorious if you are not alive to see it._

Gotham City. Fine tipped his head, standing in Gotham Square Park as the citizens moved around him, all in a hurry to get one place or another. The crush of humanity was brutal, Fine thought; they move like rats in a maze. Able to block out all of the city noises around him, Fine could hear past the buses, cars and feet, past the rumbling of the elevated trains, and the rush of the waste water in the sewers, even past the tiny breathing of the rodents that populated the undercity, twice as many as the humans that milled around him now. He could hear beyond Gotham, beyond Metropolis. And all he could hear was a hum, another song, this one more annoying and monotonous than the previous one – the old woman and her blasted winged insect. This song was worse, and harder to shake off. He grimaced, and strained to sense past that, but the song would not let him.

"Here's a little song I wrote, you might want to sing it note for note, don't worry, be happy…." Smallville, he would get to Smallville, find the key and whatever was transmitting this interference and crush it. The variance in his programming, torturing the human did not concern Fine very much. Something about the green kryptonite had temporarily affected his cognitive processing. It would not happen again.

Bruce came into the house, closing his phone. Lana met him at the door, and she just held out her hand to him. He took it, gave it a gentle squeeze and looked Lana in the eye. She knew, knew he'd just gotten off the phone with Lex, and Bruce realized there was no protecting her from Lex at all.

"Was that Lex?" She asked, and Bruce nodded. "Did they find Lionel?"

"They did, Lana. Listen, I want you to go home, collect some clothes and your passport. Lex wants you in Geneva with him. I'll call Alfred and see if I can smooth things over with your professors at Met U, family emergency or something. My private jet will take you to Geneva."

"Okay." Lana nodded. "Is Lionel that bad?"

"Sounds serious, Lana. Lex didn't go into tremendous detail, but I think his kidnappers didn't get what they wanted." Bruce sighed. "I want you to be super careful, Lana. Don't leave Lex for a minute. Understand?"

"I don't plan to leave him again, Bruce. I'll go pack." Lana stood on tiptoe and kissed Bruce on the cheek. "Thanks Bruce." She turned and came back with Lois who scowled at him as she passed. Bruce watched then go, his eyes lingering on Lois.

"Okay, so," Bruce slid into a chair, casting his eyes around the room. Martha had taken a seat across from him, Clark, Chloe on either side of the table. "We're doing what, now?" He dropped the octagonal key in the middle of the table, one dark eyebrow raised over a cynical gaze at Clark.

"Chloe and I are going up to the Arctic." Clark said, around a mouthful of cornbread. "I'm hoping that Fine will come here first…" He swallowed the bread, chased it with a big swig of milk and wiped his mouth. "Looking for this." Clark picked up the key. "Chloe has another crystal in a safe place, and we'll take that with us."

"So, I'm waiting here for a super-strong Kryptonian artificial intelligence that can morph into anything?" Bruce folded his arms, and nodded. "Piece of cake."

Clark and Chloe looked in askance at him, and they all laughed.

"Does that green Kryptonite affect it at all?" Bruce asked, after a minute, when they had all stopped laughing again. "Does it have a weakness?"

Clark sighed. "I don't know…the last time, we thought we killed Fine up at the Fortress, and here he is again." He looked over at Chloe. "I don't like bringing you into a dangerous situation, Chloe. Can we get the crystal, er, from where it's hidden, and you can stay with Mom?"

"NO." Chloe shook her head. "I'm not letting you face that thing again without me…not now." She turned to Bruce. "In the silo are about ten different kinds of Kryptonite. I don't know which ones will affect Fine, since whatever he is, he's not a living being. But it might slow him down, or weaken him. The golden kind, it looks like fools gold," Chloe paused, and when Bruce nodded, she continued. "I think if Clark was exposed, it would take away his powers, but if Fine is exposed…"

"He'd be weakened." Clark and Martha said together incredulously, and Bruce frowned.

"He's already unpredictable." Bruce said. "This golden Kryptonite might just completely fry his system and make him totally out of control."

Chloe closed her eyes. Fine was getting closer, and there were two of him on the move.

"One will follow us to the Fortress. The other will stay and get the key. That's why he's moving so slow, Clark. He's running." She grinned. "You can fly faster than he can run." Chloe looked at Clark. "Aren't you glad you learned to fly now?"

Clark rolled his eyes. "We'd better get going. Running or not, Fine will be here sooner than I'd like to think."

"Senator, I'd like it very much if you'd go with Lana, or to my house in Gotham City. For your safety." Bruce looked across the table at Martha. She nodded, and then looked at Clark.

"I could go to Metropolis, and stay with Granddad." Martha looked at Clark and he thought about it for a moment.

"That's a good idea, Mom. Better get moving and take Shelby with you." He said, smiling.

Martha rose, leaning on the table for support. "I'll get packed. I'll take Lana to meet your jet, Bruce, and then I'll head off." She kissed Clark on the forehead. "Be safe, sweetie." She blew a kiss to Chloe. "Be careful, Chloe, I know your dad would be so proud of strong you've been through all of this." Martha turned and looked at Bruce, who had risen when Martha did. "I'm trusting you, Mr. Wayne. My husband used to say that he preferred to believe in people, and I get the feeling he'd have liked you." She extended her hand to him. Bruce took it, and then put his other hand over hers.

"Senator." Bruce was solemn. "I'll do everything I can for Clark. I promise."

"And keep yourself in one piece too." Martha kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Bruce."


	9. Destiny & Devotion

Reaching Kansas, Fine breezed past Metropolis and headed toward Smallville. The key was there, he was certain, and so was Kal-El. It would not be long before he could release his master, and then Zod would take over the Earth, bringing pestilence and disaster to purify this planet from the filth that had over taken it. It would not be long at all. The song about being happy was still there, but Fine had picked up the message about hiding articles in an abandoned missle silo in Smallville. The key. Hidden in a lead lined missle silo. He increased his speed. Too much time had already been wasted.

"Hello?" Lois had returned to the Kent farm, and found everyone gone. Everyone, that is, she knew. A slender, dark haired man stood at the clean table, his fingers pressed to the middle of the tabletop. She dropped her purse to the floor, and took a defensive position. "Listen here, Sparky, not very bright breaking into a State Senators house in the middle of the afternoon." He turned, and appraised her with the coldest eyes Lois had ever seen. No problem, Lois thought, feeling her stomach turn. She licked her lips, pulled her bottom lip in and bounced a little on her toes. "I've been trained by the Green Berets, but I'll go easy on you. The new Sheriff will still be able to identify you when I'm done."

"I'm lost." The man said, in a mild tone, but Lois could feel the menace dripping from him. "I need to find an abandoned missle silo in the area. Can you help me?" He walked closer to Lois and tipped his head, with no expression on his face at all. "And what exactly is 'the pompatus of love?"

"Okay, Mister..a nappy poo in the drunk tank will help you." Lois threw a punch, and the man ducked, moving faster than she could even see. "Whoa, what the hell are you?" She threw another punch, faster this time, ready to turn and kick next.

"I'm a world history professor." Fine said, catching her fist easily and twisting her arm back around her in a biting grip. "And I need you to help me teach a very important lesson to a former student of mine."

"Well…" Chloe looked around, staring up at the majestic spires of ice that made up the Fortress of Solitude. "No trace of Fine yet." She walked over to the panel of tubes, touching each one with her left hand. Each tube glowed a different color as her

hand left it.

"Chloe, look." Clark pointed to the console, and Chloe turned around, taking in what she had just done.

"Isn't it supposed to do that?" She asked, going back over to examine the tubes. "Yes, it's working right."

"How did you, hey," Clark walked over to her and looked at her hand. The scar was a shimmering opalescent frost on Chloe's palm. He looked into her face. "You know how to use this console?"

"Of course I do. You take a crystal, like this one," Chloe lifted a prism from a side rack. "and you put it into the tube, like this." She slipped the crystal into the rose colored tube, "and then, you get the information that you need." A voice, more than likely Jor-El's, began to explain the courtship process on Krypton, arranged marriages for political and social advantage, the accepted guild of courtesans. Clark and Chloe grinned at each other. "I had to go and pick the Kryptonian sex-ed crystal." Chloe rolled her eyes. "Figures." She blushed prettily, and started to walk away. Clark caught her hand in his and turned her to face him. Clark looked at Chloe's palm again. It glowed the same rose color as the tube, and he leaned forward and kissed the scar, his lips tingling. The sensation of warmth and comfort he had felt when he had first found the crystal swept through him, and when he looked up, Chloe's eyes were full of tears.

"Chloe." Clark pulled her close. "What is it?" He wiped the tears that had spilled down her cheeks, "Don't cry."

"I'm scared, Clark." Chloe sniffed. "I have all these things flowing through my head…I used to think I had cornered the market on useless information in my brain, but now, there's so much up there I don't even know what's useful and what's not." She looked up at him. "I don't want to end up like that linguist that got all Krypto-infected…" Chloe shuddered, and Clark held her tighter.

"I'm not going to let that happen, Chloe, I promise." Clark kissed her forehead, her eyes and then her lips. Chloe sighed and returned the kiss, closing her mind to everything in it and around her. All that mattered was that she and Clark were together. Feeling safe for the first time in days, Chloe felt herself completely relax into Clark's embrace.

Suddenly, Chloe had a flash – a vision of Lois, through someone else's eyes and Lois had been hurt. "Clark…" Chloe pushed him away, and stared at him with wide eyes. "Fine has Lois." Clark hung his head. Once again, faced with a choice – save a friend or potentially save the world. He knew Chloe was worried, it came off her in waves.

But Clark was worried about Zod getting free of the Phantom Zone for good. If Zod had been able to directly affect everyone here – from the Phantom Zone – what would he do once he was free. There was no choice, and Clark would have to trust that Bruce would be able to find away to save Lois.

"We need to get to work." Clark said, turning to the console again. "Which one tells me everything I need to know about Zod?" He heard Chloe sob, and she nodded, looking away from him, embarrassed. She had been reading his mind the whole time.

"You know I don't have an option, right, Chloe? We have to trust Bruce with saving Lois."

"It's his part in this, I know." Chloe shook her head. "I just hate not being there for her, when she's risked everything to help me. "

"You are going to help her." Clark put his hands on her shoulders. "You can get into Fine's brain. Find a way to get in there and stay in there, while we work on stopping him here." He kissed the top of her head. "Let's get to work. We don't have much more time."

"I'm not telling you anything," Lois hissed through clenched teeth. "I don't know about any key." Fine had dragged her out into the Kent's front yard.

"You know about the place I need to go." Fine's reply was icy cold. "Harming you has no relation to my function at this time."

"Yeah, right." Lois struggled. Her arm was definitely broken, felt like it was on fire, it hurt so bad. But she wasn't going to give in. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Milton Fine, world history professor.' Fine said again, as if talking to a particularly dense student. "You are important to Clark Kent, and I need to find him."

"ME?" Lois actually laughed, which hurt her arm and side tremendously. "Important to Clark? You ARE drunk. I'm the last person that means anything to him."

Fine was quiet. The music had stopped. He focused carefully, ignoring the struggling girl and her lies. The frequency of the key grew louder, and he could track it easily now.

"You will come with me, " Fine released Lois' arm, and grabbed her around the waist. "When we find the key, I will decide if you will be exterminated now, or given as," His voice took on a nasty inflection, "an offering to my master when he is freed."

Before Lois could protest, Fine took off, heading toward the missle silo at lightning fast speed.

Bruce stood outside the silo, watching the horizon with binoculars. Clark was completely out of communication range, wherever he was. Uttering silent curses under his breath, Bruce turned around and stalked into the silo to wait. He had put on the body armor he'd brought with him – it was by no means the Batsuit, but it would give him some protection from whatever this thing, Fine, chose to dish out. His laptop open, Bruce was working on classifying the different types of Kryptonite that had been collected here. The women had put most of the stuff behind the blast shield, where the missle used to be, and Bruce wasn't very happy with the sickly glow that radiated through that plexiglass. The other thing that Bruce did not like was that they had gathered this stuff in a new place, but still in deep in Luthorland. It was still a danger to Clark, and Bruce made a mental note to send geologists to the area to assess the levels of radiation in this town. Lex had done some research, but only as it pertained to the mutations the radiation had caused, possibly seeking to replicate the effect. Bruce was thinking about preventing further infection. He sighed, picking up a chunk of green Kryptonite and staring at it balefully.

"That must have been one hell of an explosion." Bruce said, shaking his head.

"Oh it was." Fine's voice echoed in the silo. Bruce turned, and did not react to the sight of Lois, who fine had tossed into the room as if she were no more than a doll. "You are the guardian of the city to the East."

"I don't really like being called anything that formal…" Bruce said, his eyes sliding over to where Lois lay in a crumpled heap. He could see she was still breathing, and for now, Bruce told himself, that was about as good as it was going to get. "And you are…"

"For your purposes, it really doesn't matter what my name is…" Fine informed him. "My master will be quite pleased to conquer your city. I've been there. So many willing recruits to the cause of Zod." Arkham came unpleasantly to mind, and Bruce scowled at Fine.

"Somehow, I'm pretty confident that this Zod character isn't going to get 50 miles near Gotham City." Bruce replied casually. "He's not going to get 50 miles near anywhere."

"Your confidence is woefully misplaced." Fine said, his hand morphing into a long, sharp blade. "Kal-El will fail."

"Yeah, well." Bruce shrugged. "We'll have to agree to disagree on that."

Fine studied Bruce for a moment. "You have the key." The blade moved closer to Bruce's neck, and Fine's normal hand opened. "Give it to me."

"I don't actually have it on me." Bruce shrugged, moving away from the blade. "That would be stupid."

"It would be stupid for you to try and resist me, Mr. Wayne," Fine said reasonably. "Look what happened to Lionel Luthor, and to that girl there. " He pointed to Lois, who was just starting to move a little. "Give me the key." Fine twitched a little, almost imperceptibly, and Bruce realized what he had to do. The concentration of the different types of Kryptonite were weakening Fine, and Bruce knew that he'd have one small chance to get Lois and himself out of there in time. He only hoped Clark and Chloe would have the same sort of chance on their end.

Chloe stood at the console, picking up a crystal with her left hand. It was as if each crystal was downloading directly into her brain, and the rush of information was dizzying. Clark, meantime, was busy reading the flat, shield shaped plate that he had found in Lex's room of Clark. Putting the crystal she'd already seen down, Chloe reached out with her mind and looked for Fine. Fine number one was in Smallville, having a battle of wills with Bruce. No one was hurt yet, but the Kryptonite was affecting him. Which meant that Fine number two was on his way here, but slowed down. Time for a song, Chloe thought, with a grin. Something completely catchy,so annoying, in fact, that it would occupy Fine number two….and Chloe had it. She began to hum, and grinned when she heard Clark humming it too.  
"Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,

So tell me what you want, what you really really want, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want, So tell me what you want, what you really really want,  
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really really really wanna zigazig ha. "

Back in Smallville, Fine grasped his head, and growled. "It has to stop! My processors can't take it!" He fell to the floor, and Bruce took his opening. The door to the missle bay was open, and Bruce shoved Fine in, tossing in a plastique charge from his belt.

He had less than two minutes. He grabbed his laptop, and raced to Lois.

"Lois!" He shook her, and she opened her eyes. "We have to get out of here, now!"

She stood shakily and Bruce threw her over his shoulder and darted from the missle silo, just as the plastique charge went off.

Chloe's eyes opened. Bruce and Lois were safe. Her e-mail beeped and she knelt to see who had sent her a message.

"Chloe, I think I figured out how to bring Fine down…I'm getting Lois to a hospital, and I'll start writing the code there. Hang tight, and stall for time. Bruce."

"Clark!" Chloe turned around, and but Clark's attention had been drawn elsewhere. Fine stood, a slender figure in black, looking haggard, but not at all defeated before them. They had run out of time.

Bruce sat by Lois' bedside, her rollaway bed table in front of him. He had stripped off his body armor and left it near the silo after he had e-mailed Chloe. I hope she got it, Bruce thought, looking over at Lois. Now, Bruce was writing code, a virus of the most gargantuan proportion that he was not even sure if it would work. But his plan was so simple, all the pieces had to fall together just right and it would work like a charm. Clark just had to deal with the one holding Fine's leash.

"Excuse me, sir." A nurse in blue scrubs opened the door and smiled at him. "There is a General Lane on the phone. He said you called him?"

"Oh, yes. I'll take it at the nurses station." Bruce rose, and he felt a hand reach out and weakly grab his wrist. He turned, and Lois was shaking her head, eyes closed.

"Don't." Lois rasped, blinking her eyes. "I'm fine." She cleared her throat. "Okay, Florence Nightingale? Tell the General that Lois is fine. You have my permission – tell him whatever you want." Bruce and the nurse looked at each other, and the nurse nodded and left.

"Lois." Bruce turned, and took her hand in his. "How's your arm?"

"It'd be great if I hadn't just hurt that shoulder a month ago." She sat up a little, using her other arm for support. "You saved me."

"Nothing you wouldn't have done for me." Bruce said gently and Lois rolled her eyes. "Well, maybe not." She smiled up at him, and sighed.

"Look, Flyboy, I think we got off on the wrong foot earlier." Lois squeezed his hand and let it drop. "I've kind of had my share of Smallville's, er, Clark's out there friends. There was this guy last summer that, well…" She looked up at him and smiled sheepishly.

"You don't want to hear about that."

"Nope." Bruce smiled back, returning to his seat. "Didn't want to talk to your Dad, huh?"

"And I don't want to talk ABOUT him, either." Lois settled back on the pillows.

"Fair enough." Bruce nodded, turning his attention back to the computer.

There was a short silence. Bruce's keystrokes on the laptop were the only sound to be heard. Lois wiggled in her bed, and Bruce could sense the questions building up inside her. Any second she would pop like a bottle of soda that had been shaken.

"What happened to Mr. Personality, Bruce?" Lois asked, finally "One minute, I'm struggling to get away, and the next, he's gone, and you are in my face in the grass."

"He blew himself up inside the silo." Bruce said simply. It had been his explanation to the police as well. The Smallville Sheriff's office took the story of a meteor freak gone bad with a philosophical acceptance that Bruce loved. Lois, however, was not to be so easily placated.

"With what? I didn't see any explosives, and that was where Chloe and Mrs. Kent brought all that meteor rock. And what were YOU doing there anyway?" Lois sat forward abruptly, wincing from the pain in her arm.

"I followed you and Fine…I was afraid he was going to do worse than break your arm." Bruce lied smoothly, topping it off with a heroic smile. 'I'm a hero, and you are badgering me with twenty questions."

"I guess." Lois sat back, and she looked over his shoulder at his computer screen. "What's that?"

"Oh, nothing." Bruce continued typing. "Just a little present for a friend of mine. I'm hoping that it will help them out of a kind of immigration problem."

"So, you're a software guy." Lois nodded knowingly. "That explains your geeky clothes, and your hair. I'll bet you played Dungeons and Dragons in college and have a membership the Star Trek fan club."

Bruce laughed, looking down at his clothes, and raised a hand to his dark blonde hair. "Yeah, I'm in computers. They're more of a hobby, and I'm not a fan of Dungeons and Dragons." He turned and caught her studying him intently, and her quick blush when their eyes met. "You've been checking me out."

"I have not." Lois turned her face away. "Please. Don't flatter yourself. You are soo not my type. Lex Luthor has a better chance with me than you do, and he's the LAST guy on earth, believe me."

"Okay, Lois." Bruce nodded. He continued typing, and after a moment, when he turned back to see why she'd gotten so quiet, Lois was asleep, smiling.

"I was not successful in getting the key to the ship." Fine said, his voice flat. "But I realized that a far more useful tool for opening the Phantom Zone was already where I had to be." He held out his hand for the metal plate Clark held, and it left Clark's hand and flew through the air toward Fine.

"NO!" Chloe called out, reflexively reaching for the plate herself. The shield flipped over, and hurtled toward her, landing in her outstretched hands. "Whoa." Chloe gasped, looking down at the shield. When her left hand touched it, it hummed loudly, causing the crystals at the console to chime together. She quickly shoved her hand into her pocket, clutching the shield in her right. Fine's eyes fell on her, and he pointed a long finger at her.

"You are not to interfere again, Chloe Sullivan. I am not certain how you accomplished your meddling, but it is of no importance now. Give me the portal." Fine moved toward her, but Clark put himself in front of Chloe.

"You'll have to get through me, Fine." Clark said, suddenly seeming tremendous, a breathing, impenetrable wall between Chloe and her aggressor.

"It is sad, Kal-El, how you will put yourself at risk for these, lesser, creatures." Fine tipped his head. "It is without any kind of logic whatever."

"That's because I'm not an artificial being." Clark replied, folding his arms. "We have our own logic."

"ENOUGH", a voice boomed through the Fortress, much like the voice Clark had come to know as Jor-El, but rougher. Zod. "The girl IS the key, you fool." Fine bowed toward the voice, falling to one knee.

"You cannot touch her." Clark yelled out defiantly, "She has nothing to do with this."

The wind picked up and swirled around them, making Chloe almost lose her grip on the shield, but she grasped it tighter, and the meaning of the words inscribed on the front surface bubbled to the top of her mind.

"Clark!" She called, the wind nearly drowning out her voice. "Clark! This shield! This shield is the portal!"

"Throw the portal, human." Zod's voice was a mocking parody of Jor-El's now. "Throw it with your left hand. You are the key. And you will be the first of your kind to welcome me."

"Chloe!" Clark turned, and put his arms around her. "Don't listen to him…" He looked down. Chloe's eyes were closed, and she had begun to glow. It was as if she had been created from pure light, and Clark released her. Powered by a force not her own, Chloe turned, and held the reflective side of the shield in the direction Zod's voice had issued from. Light bounced from it, as she spoke, both in English and Kryptonian.

"What was hidden, must now be revealed…"Her voice was crystalline, removed from her body – seeming to echo through the Fortress like pure bells on a summer morning. The hulking mass of the largest Kryptonian ship Clark had seen to date appeared, its very darkness an affront to the pristine majesty of the Fortress. "Kal-El…Clark." She spoke his name and Clark heard Lara's voice join in. "Your part in this has begun….take the shield."

Clark stepped forward, reaching out for the shield. Chloe's hand released it and the small silver shield hovered between them, beginning to spin. Clark took it in his hand. In the place of the massive Kryptonian ship, a large, black shield had appeared opposite him and it too, had begun to spin, whipping up the already fierce wind.

"You are too late!" Fine cried out, something like rapture on his face. "My master comes!"

"The Phantom Zone has opened." Chloe/Lara said, "This must be."

"Why? I don't understand!" Clark called out, and he heard Chloe, inside his head, next to his heart. His Chloe. She strengthened and supported him, and he could feel her.

"Read the shield, Clark." There was a small snort and then Clark heard Chloe translate the Kryptonian.

"Son of Jor-El, protector of the Phantom Zone, the last child of Krypton. Heal the breach, seal the tomb…."Clark repeated the words, stepping in front of Chloe, Her light had grown brighter, and begun to pulse with colors. "From Krypton's fate, your home preserve…."

"And all living creatures, you vow to serve…" The crystalline Chloe's voice rang over the howling, tornado like winds. Suddenly, the wind ceased, and the silence in the Fortress was tomblike. The black shield had become a dimensional hole, a doorway, so black that the light around it did not seem as bright. Clark recognized that void - the Phantom Zone. Fine dropped lower, bending forward so that his head nearly touched the floor, chanting in Kryptonian. Chloe fell to the floor in a heap, the light that had illuminated her gone. Clark knelt beside her, and sighed with relief when she moaned.

"Clark…"She whispered, but did not open her eyes. "You have to let me help you…"

"Chloe, it's not over yet…stay down." Clark said urgently, and Chloe shook her head.

"Clark, listen, the crystal.." She grasped his shirt, and pulled him down toward her.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I don't need the crystal, Chloe…"

Her eyes opened. They were no longer the warm and mossy hazel he loved, the irises were an opalescent swirl of color. Before Clark could register his shock and horror, Chloe spoke again, her voice very much her own. Nothing in her words reassured Clark at all, in spite of her familiar voice, and tender smile.

" You do need me, Clark. I am the Crystal."


	10. Fate & Fortune

Lana ran to Lex, throwing herself into his arms. It was nearly dark in Geneva now, the stars just starting to twinkle. The flight on Bruce's jet had been pleasant enough, but somewhere over the Atlantic, Lana had been filled with the fiercest desire to go back, something inside her telling her that something in Smallville was very definitely wrong, that leaving was a mistake. Since the days of Countess Isabelle Theroux, Lana often had flashes of insight. But, when she saw Lex, a solitary figure in dark clothes, that intuition vanished, and was replaced with the knowledge that she was, indeed, in the place she needed to be. Lana kissed Lex fiercely, possessively and he responded in kind. Breaking the kiss, Lex blinked and caught his breath. Until he'd actually seen her getting off the plane, Lex had no idea how much he'd missed having Lana with him. Bruce's words earlier haunted him. Lana was indeed, the best part of Lex – he could be with her the person he had almost forgotten about.

"Hey, hey." Lex smiled down at her. "Are you alright?"

Lana nodded, smiling back. "I'm just so glad to see you. How's Lionel?"

"He's going to be okay." Lex said, taking her hand and walking with her to the waiting limousine. "He's still unconscious, but the doctors said he'll be back to normal in no time." He smiled reassuringly, keeping from Lana the actual facts of his father's situation.

Lionel was far from 'normal'. . Lionel Luthor should have been dead when that vault door opened. Every single drop of his blood had been poured from his body. A miracle had occurred when his only son forced his way down to that vault. A miracle that the pious nuns and nurses of the Geneva hospital whispered about amongst themselves in the hallways. His treatment had been standard for shock, normal for extreme blood loss. The transfusions continued until a rejection reaction began, causing yet another crisis. One would think the pain of a blood transfusion reaction would be powerful, one would think the fever, the sweats and the rash would be agony. And, for the most part, that guess would be right. The international team of doctors attending Lionel Luthor were absolutely baffled. He had every negative symptom; his kidneys had even begun to fail. However, the expression on his face was one of absolute joy. His pupils were so dilated, no color could be identified, they were just empty pools of black. The nurses, fluent in French, understood his words, as did the doctors from Italy, Germany and England. They understood the words, but not the import. It wasn't for simple superstition that the old nuns who sat with him while he raved made the sign of the cross over their somber habits. And perhaps, if Lionel could think, he'd appreciate that irony. A miraculous rescue from the brink of death to predict the doom of mankind. A delicious irony, indeed, one Lionel Luthor would have enjoyed tremendously.

"The portal is open…the portal is open…Zod is coming…."

It was no accident that Martha was sitting by the phone. She had been waiting for anyone to call her, Bruce, Clark, Lana – anyone. Her father was asleep in his chair, the Wall Street Journal draped over his chest, little snores bursting from him like runaway bees. Shelby had taken over the deep red hearth rug, and her father's cat, Darrow, slept, with both ears in the direction of the gentle golden retriever, on the sun splashed window seat. Her cell phone rang, and she snatched it to her ear, desperate for news.

"Hello?" Martha felt her throat close.

"It's Bruce." Bruce Wayne's rich baritone voice made Martha breathe again. He hesitated, and asked, softer, like Clark would have. "Martha, are you okay?"

"I'm fine…."She sighed. "We're fine. Have you heard from Clark?"

"No, not yet." Bruce's voice was far away. "We will though."

"How can you be so sure?" Martha asked frantically, dropping her voice. She'd lost too much this year to take this situation for granted. "How can you possibly know?"

"I know, because I know people, Martha." Bruce said simply. 'And Clark is, well, Clark." He chuckled. "Would it mean anything to you if I said that he reminded me of my father?"

Martha smiled. "I didn't know your father, Bruce. But if he was anything like you seem to be, then he must have been a good man."

"He was. Better than me. Purer, cleaner, less complicated. Like Clark." Bruce's voice did soften, and Martha wanted to hug him. "Dad preferred to believe in people too. Like your late husband." She wanted to ask him if he was okay, but suddenly, Bruce was all business again. "Lois is fine, her arm was broken, struggling with Fine. She said she hurt the same side a month ago."

"Poor Lois. Should I come back?" Martha asked. "I can be back by ten."

"She's sleeping now. I'm staying here. She won't be alone." Bruce said, looking over his shoulder at Lois.

"Okay. Bruce, please." Martha wiped her eyes. "If you hear from Clark or Chloe…"

"You'll be the first to know, I swear." Bruce finished. "Take care, Martha."

"You too, " Martha hung up, holding the phone to her chest, willing her heart to stop pounding so loudly, willing her lungs to keep her supplied with air. If ever there was a time to trust Clark, it was now.

"Kal-El, your compassion for these lesser creatures is beneath you. Living among them has made you weak." Zod's voice issued from the deep black hole, all trace of similarity to Jor-El's gone now. Zod's voice was the voice of a warrior, a man raised on blood and murder.

Clark rose to his feet. "They are not weak. And I am not less for being among them, Zod."

"That remains to be seen." Zod said, emerging head and shoulders from the hole. Clark found himself at a complete loss. Zod was taller even than Clark was, massive. His hair, long and impossibly black, was streaked with white, his skin a deathly pallor from which his eyes, a ghoulish red brown like dried blood, glowed like coals. Dressed in armor, Zod was everything Clark would have imagined and worse. Zod was the very image Clark had always thought of when he'd imagined Satan as a child, and now, he understood why.

Chloe could not see. She could not really hear, either. Around her, she could sense Clark, a blur of blue and red, standing defiantly, facing the void. The void she could see. Chloe could see into it, through it and around it. She could see Lionel, observing the goings on from his hospital bed in Geneva, Martha quietly sobbing with a grey cat on her lap, Lana and Lex locked in an embrace of such complete abandon that Chloe, even in her newly detached state, could feel a blush on her cheeks. She could see Bruce Wayne, his new and unwelcome feelings of tenderness of her ascerbic cousin at war with the realities of his life in Gotham City. Chloe could see all of it, the beauty and majesty of humanity, and she sent those thoughts to Clark, not knowing if he could sense them. And then she could see something else, something else that Clark didn't see. Something closer and treacherous. Fine was moving ever so slowly toward where Clark and Zod stood, ready for a surprise attack. Her hand felt the laptop, the primitive technology she and Clark had giggled about together so long ago. She touched it, and with her mind probed the contents until she found what she was looking for, the promised e-mail from Bruce. He still had his part to play in this drama, and Chloe was going to deliver the blow for him. She lifted the computer, and then felt herself rise, the virus downloading itself into her brain, coiled to spring, like a cobra.

"You." She pointed at Fine. Lara's voice, Chloe's voice merged together into a tinkling of bells and crytal chimes, beautiful and terrible. "You creation of madness. Face the justice of the council of Krypton. You are not immune, you have earned your punishment." Fine turned. His eyes registered shock, but did not completely understand until he was enveloped by the sound of Chloe's voice, as it translated the computer virus Bruce Wayne had written in Smallville, miles and miles away into his central processors. But by then, it was too late. Fine had run out of time.

"It is not possible….it is not possible…" He repeated, his body dissolving into a puddle of quicksilver on the white, white floor. "too primitive.."

In a rush, Chloe felt her mind being emptied, her soul being released from the grasp the crystal had kept on her. Please, please…she wailed silently, don't make me leave him…it's too soon, anything, anything. But the emptiness that followed as the crystal left her body was worse, it was losing her mother all over again, saying goodbye to her father as he moved across the country to his new job, leaving her at MetU alone, dropping flowers on her Aunt Elaine's casket. Chloe collapsed into the snow, falling to her knees, crystal in hand, breaths coming hard and heavy. Looking down, she saw the crystal, Lara's gift, pulsing in her hand. Her mind was her own again. She gasped, and Zod turned his attention from Clark to study her. His face was beautiful, too. God, were they all like carved angels on Krypton? Chloe rose, and lifted her chin rebelliously. Her eyes, clear and mossy hazel, shone with the brilliance of a forest pool in the afternoon. She was home, she was herself. And she was going to fall down. Chloe caught herself on the console and eased herself to sit down in the snow. Clark still stood between her and Zod, his red jacketed back a fortress of her own.

"Look how delicate and frail they are, Kal-El. Join me." Zod held out a hand. "Jor-El banished you, the same as he did me. We are the same." The warriors voice was like silk.

Clark looked back at Chloe, and smiled at her. "We are not the same, Zod. And we never will be." He turned back to Zod. "And you will not harm one of these people, not today, or any other day."

"You dare defy me?" Zod chuckled. "You are still young, not full grown. How will you defeat me?" The tyrant took a step out into the Fortress, and around them, the walls began to shake. "The very fiber of your world fears me."

"Clark!" Chloe threw the crystal to him, and it blazed again in a glory of light, a barrier of delicate beauty between Clark and Zod. Clark caught it, and it's light reflected in the polished shield he held. He did not falter, his green eyes blazed and did not waver.

"You are hereby sentenced to the Phantom Zone, Zod, for crimes committed against every living creature on Krypton. You are sentenced to the Phantom Zone for your plot to take over the Earth" Clark's voice was suddenly richer, deeper, and Chloe saw, a flash of insight, the man he would become. "You are sentenced to the Phantom Zone for your betrayal of your race." The shield flashed, and began to spin.

Zod laughed. "Jor-El could not contain me forever, boy. What makes you think you can?" A band of silvery white light had wrapped itself around him, and he waved it away like a smoke ring. But more light wrapped itself around Zod, until he could not struggle free at all.

"I have my whole life to keep you there." Clark said, grasping the shield again and then tossing it. It flashed brilliantly, and came to rest over Zod. The larger, black hole had begun to recede, shrinking away from the light of the crystal and shield, until it eventually vanished completely.

"Kal-El! Think! Together we can rule this world like gods…"Zod's voice boomed through the Fortress, causing chunks of ice to fall the ground and crash with thunderous impact. "There is nothing you could not have…"

"Give me back my father, give me back the lives you stole." Clark's voice was sad, wise, and oddly compassionate. "Give me back the years I lost with Jor-El and Lara. Give me back Jonathan Kent."

"FOOL!" Zod railed, struggling against his bonds. "You speak of love. Weakness. There is Power in pain, in loss."

Clark closed his eyes. "There is no greater power than love, no greater cause than justice."

"There is strength.." Zod said, seeming to measure his words. "in victory"

"Only when tempered by mercy." Clark replied, pointing the crystal at Zod. "Perhaps some more time in the Phantom Zone will give you time to reflect on that."

The shield swooped around Zod, swirling around him until Chloe swore she could see many, many of the same shield. And then, Clark raised the crystal over his head, causing the opalescent light to flood the Fortress. All Chloe could hear was Clark's voice, in the brightness of all that white light "And my time here, with human beings has taught me that like no wisdom from Krypton ever could." Chloe closed her eyes against the brightness of that light – her hands over her eyes could barely stop it from making the inside of her eyelids glow red. The wind was unbearable, and Chloe fell into the snow, her cheek against the icy floor.

She woke up, cradled in Clark's arms, a gentle breeze blowing her hair from her face. Opening her eyes, she saw they were flying slowly, gliding, really. It was nearly night, the sky a clear and perfect shade of deep blue.

"Hey." Clark said gently, seeing her wake up. He smiled at her, and Chloe blinked twice, throwing her arms around his neck. "You're up."

"Where are we?" Chloe asked, looking down, and then closing her eyes again, swallowing deeply.

Clark laughed. "Did you look down? After everything that's happened today, you're scared NOW?" He held her a little tighter anyway, and Chloe opened her eyes again.

"Yeah…"She wailed. "I did. Tell me where we are."

"We're over Alaska, somewhere." Clark told her. "I saw some polar bears and their cubs just before you woke up." The way he said it, it was as if he'd seen rabbits playing in his cornfield at home, as ordinary as pie. "Chloe, you're flying." His voice was full of awe, like a child at Christmas offering their mother the most special gift they could imagine.

"I have to be dreaming." She gasped, "It's amazing. I feel like Wendy." She laughed out loud, and it echoed across the snowy landscape joyfully. Too much had happened, Chloe thought, and she knew that she and Clark would talk about all of it until they had put every last thing behind them, but now, she had never felt quite so alive in her life. Or so overwhelmingly in love with the young man who held her as they sailed through the clouds.

"Well,..um,Wendy." Clark cleared his throat. "You have to have a happy thought to fly. What is it?"

"My happy thought?" Chloe pretended to think. "My happy thought was you."

Clark looked at her, his eyes full. He sighed deeply, kissed her briefly, and nodded. "I'm glad."

"Hey, wait a minute, there, Peter Pan, what's YOUR happy thought?" Chloe whispered into his neck, reveling in the scent of him, forever hay, sunshine and apples.

"My happy thought? Come on, Chloe.." Clark smiled. "You are always my happy thought, even when things are at their worst. I thought you knew that."

"Well, I do now, Superman. I do now." Chloe nodded, her heart full to overflowing.


	11. Virtue & Visions

Bruce felt himself shaken awake. Clark Kent, fatigued and windblown stood over him. The younger man smiled and put a finger to his lips for silence. Chloe slept in the bed next to her cousin's, who was also fast asleep. Clark bobbed his head in the direction of the door and the two men moved silently out of the room.

"Mission accomplished?" Bruce asked when they got out into the hall. Clark nodded and with a careful glance through the window at the sleeping girls, led Bruce down the hall to an empty waiting room.

"For now." Clark said finally, folding his arms over his chest. "I don't think Fine is going to be a threat for awhile."

Bruce frowned. "I haven't been back to the missle silo. The sheriffs department said there was nothing left of him after the explosion. That's odd, because the explosion happened behind the blast shield inside the silo. There should have been something, anything."

"He wasn't human." Clark reminded Bruce, with a sidelong look to see if they were being overheard. "He was Kryptonian technology. Any evidence the sheriff found wouldn't be easily identifiable. Chloe saw him dissolve into a puddle of goo at the Fortress." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a large clear cylinder, filled with a thick, metallic fluid. "I scooped up what I could while Chloe was unconscious."

Clark handed the cylinder to Bruce. It was remarkably heavy, heavier than Bruce would have thought at first. He could feel the liquid metal moving inside the cylinder, alive.

"What should we do with it?" Bruce looked from the cylinder to Clark. "I'm a little at a loss, Clark. An insane human, I can figure out. A corrupt man I can read like a book. This." Bruce raised the container. "Is a little out of my league."

"If we can somehow keep what was left of him in the silo and this sample here from getting together, maybe that will buy us some time." Clark shrugged. "Keep it safe for now, Bruce. I'd keep it at the Fortress, but I think that's probably the last place it belongs."

"I'll take it back to Gotham City. Figure out some sort of containment field or something. I'll take some of that Kryptonite ore with me. " Bruce studied the container again. "Can't hurt." He eyed Clark studiously. "What about Zod?"

"Back in the Phantom Zone." Clark replied. He sighed deeply and shook his head. "Keeping him there is going to be my life's work, I think. Time will tell, I guess."

"You can count on me, if he should make another attempt." Bruce said, clapping a hand on Clark's shoulder. "I want you to remember that."

Clark smiled. "I'm counting on it."

"Chloe…" Lois opened her eyes and smiled, seeing Chloe asleep in the next bed. "Cuz…"

"Lois." Chloe sprang awake, and sat up. Lois was none the worse for the wear and Chloe laughed to see her smile brightly. "Well, you don't look like someone who was the hostage of a dangerous meteor freak yesterday." Chloe told her, and Lois grinned proudly. "And you made a new friend, too." Chloe eyed Lois knowingly, surpressing a small laugh.

"Oh, I have the battle scars to prove I was a hostage don't you worry." Lois replied crisply, holding out her uninjured arm to hug her cousin. "And my new 'friend' is a big pain who is either brooding, tapping away on his little computer or looking for new ways to irritate me." Lois released Chloe from the hug and looked her in the eye. "Smallville has some weird friends." The older girl rolled her eyes. "Casanova Surfboard, the Incredible Vanishing Psycho and now Captain Trust Fund out there. Really, Chloe, doesn't Clark have friends that he tips cows with on Saturday nights or something? You know, someone normal, who doesn't wear Armani to just hang out in?"

Chloe gasped, laughing. "You like him…."

"Yeah, right. I didn't get konked on the head, Chloe." Lois sniffed haughtily, but Chloe saw right through her.

"You REALLY like him." Chloe grinned widely, punching Lois lightly on her injured arm.

"Don't say anything, Chloe. I mean it." Lois sighed, looking down at the blanket. "If it goes anywhere other than down the crapper, I'll be surprised. You are one of the lucky ones. You found your knight in shining armor. I don't think I'll ever find mine."

Chloe looked out the window. Clark and Bruce had returned, and had stopped to finish their conversation. They were like two sides of the same coin, Chloe thought watching them. And she had a feeling that Lois' knight in shining armor was right in front of them, wearing Armani instead of chain mail. Chloe smiled, and waved at them, and the men waved back, a small crease of worry flickering across Bruce's face as he made eye contact with her through the window. Chloe gave him a thumbs up, and his expression lightened, his eyes moving to Lois, who stuck her tongue out at him in reply, causing them all to laugh. That was Lois' special gift. Clark winked at Chloe, and she smiled at him, blowing him a kiss. Imagine her surprise, when she heard his voice in her mind, next to her heart, where even though the crystal was gone now, he still could touch her. "I love you too, Chloe."

Lex and Lana boarded the private jet, heading back to Smallville. Lionel had already been brought onboard, not ranting now, but in a deep, deep medically induced coma. All of his vital signs had mysteriously stabilized and the team of doctors cleared him for supervised transport back to the U.S. Lana was exhausted. She had not slept in days. The feeling of foreboding she'd felt when flying to Geneva had returned, leaving her restless and on edge. Too much had happened, she'd seen too many things that made her question everything. Involved in her own thoughts, Lana opened her book and began to read. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo's masterpiece, had held her enthralled from the moment she'd opened the cover. She sighed and began to read, wanting to lose herself in the story of Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert.

"Les Miserables." Lex looked at the cover of her book and smiled. "Not one of my personal favorites, but to each his or her own." He tipped his head to make eye contact with her. "I've been trying to talk to you since you got to Geneva, Lana."

"I'm sorry, Lex." Lana closed her book, holding her place with a finger. "This reading has to be done. I have a paper to write on it." Her fatigue made her voice brittle and tense.

"Oh." Lex sat back, and fixed her with a questioning glare. "I thought maybe you were having second thoughts about us."

She sighed. Second, third and fourth thoughts, she mused inwardly. Collecting herself, Lana put the lavender ribbon back in the book and took Lex's hand.

"I'm not going anywhere, Lex. I'm not having any regrets. It's just been a real roller coaster lately. I'm glad to be going back to my regular life. " A lie. One of necessity and survival. Because Lana realized that she had finally learned the main lesson of being involved with a Luthor. She'd learned it when Lex had taken her to the bank and showed her his father's treasure trove. Lionel had hidden away the most precious things to him, the things that hurt him too deeply to part with. Lana resolved to do the same, but with her emotions. Don't give them everything. Hold back. The game had turned and the ball was now in her court. If she was going to stay with Lex, and she intended to stay with him forever, whether he asked her or not, there had to be something of her that was entirely her own. And this little lie of omission was the first deposit in that vault of preservation. With an overwhelming sense of relief, Lana found herself truly forgiving Clark for everything. Things would never be as they had been, and that was okay. Lana smiled at Lex and opened her book again. Valjean and Javert were familiar to her. She knew them better than she could have ever imagined. Instead of loving Valjean, Lana had fallen in love with Javert – but until she knew the ending of the story, Lana would not know if Javert could be saved. Her life with Lex would be the same – there'd be no knowing if she could keep him from the darkness she saw behind his eyes until the end of her story. And this was just the beginning.

A small silver puddle had formed at the bottom of the missle bay. It pulsed and shimmered with a kind of life that no one on Earth would have ever understood. The hazmat people had already gone for a mercury disposal kit but the metal had a different plan. Slipping under a piece of debris, it mirrored it's surroundings, becoming virtually undetectable. It was formulating a plan. There was plenty of time. All the time in the world.

Journal Entry – Twenty – years later:

"_It's evening on the Kent farm. The sun is shining low in the western sky, I'm alone on the porch with a pitcher of fresh lemonade and the spring breeze on my bare feet. It's Friday, pizza and movies tonight. Lara and Jonathan have been bickering over the choices, but I think that their father will actually get the final say. It's been a month since he's been able to be with us, pressing matters of business keep him away long stretches. We keep in touch, and I sometimes go with him. It's easy in my line of work to be mobile, the kids love visiting him at 'the office'. They are always confused on career day at school when he comes to their class in a sedate blue suit and red tie to talk about journalism. We'll explain it all in time. But now we're all home together. Which is just the way I like it. I watch Lara jump into the air, her long red hair shining like fire in the sun. Like every other girl, she lands on her feet, and laughs, ready to jump again. Jonathan, tall for his age, leaps after her, spinning through the air. He is weightless, perfect in flight. It has come naturally to Jonathan, to fly. But he takes after his father that way. _

_I see them now, two tall, broad figures coming from the barn. One so dark and somber, the other so full of a light I can't begin to define, and I'm a writer, for God's sake. The world knows them both better than either of them likes. One is a captain of industry, a tycoon and philanthropist. The other, an award winning, mild mannered journalist, wearing glasses he'll never really need. Both of them are known for bigger things, heroic things. But I often tease that I remember them when, and we all laugh, because they say the same of me._

_If I had set out to put the pieces of our lives together back when we were all younger, I'd have never come to this. At one time, I'd have believed that this life was never destined to be mine, that someone else, someone sweeter or prettier than me would be on this porch now. I'm glad I was wrong. _

_The men stop and watch the children play, joining in. Soon we will all be together, my cousin and her adopted son, are on their way with my mother in law and the pizza.. Lara loves this boy, follows him like a puppy, and Tim is kind to her in the way that all boys not yet fourteen are to girls of ten. Lara does not falter in her devotion, though. Poor girl. She takes after her mother that way. _

_The pieces have all come together. We are all who we were meant to be. They say every journey begins with a single step. Mine began when my dad and I moved to Smallville. It began when I met a boy named Clark Kent. " _

She closed her laptop with a gentle snap, and stood, feeling the wind in her hair tossing the chin length chocolate strands around her face. A fragment of a opalescent crystal hung suspended around her neck, a silver bracelet with a similar stone glowed on her wrist. Putting a hand over her eyes, she could see that a car had turned into the driveway. Time for dinner.

"Hey!" She called, waving. "If you all don't hurry, I'm picking the movie."

"Aw, MOM!" the boy turned, his black hair and green eyes as rebellious as his tone. "Not that stupid black and white movie AGAIN!"

She and her husband smiled at each other across the yard. "Gaslight" it was.


End file.
